Karen A. Kawashima

Associate

Karen is a commercial litigator with substantial experience covering a wide variety of practice areas, including financial services, employment, construction, and trade secret litigation.  At Grady Pilgrim, Karen concentrates on representing the financial services industry in consumer class actions, inter-creditor disputes, title and lien priorty disputes, and breach of contract claims.

Most recently, Karen successfully defeated several robo-signing class actions on behalf of mortgage lenders, won dismissal of a class action alleging that a bank client violated the Truth in Lending Act when it failed to disclose that a security interest had been taken in an electronic funds transfer pre-authorization, and regularly resolves TILA, Fair Lending and consumer fraud counterclaims in contested foreclosures. 

Prior to joining the firm, Karen was a litigation associate at Foley & Lardner LLP, where she gained significant experience representing businesses in federal and state courts.

Professional Activities

  • Chair, Consumer Credit Committee, Chicago Bar Association
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Illinois State Bar Association

Education

Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., Wigmore Scholar, 2005)
University of Notre Dame (B.A., magna cum laude, 1999)

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

Publications & Speeches

  • Speaker, "FDCPA Case Law Update," Illinois Credit Union League, Oakbrook, IL (October 1, 2010) 

Karen A. Kawashima
“It’s a really dynamic firm. Clients come to us with complex problems and we’re able to respond quickly, get to the heart of the matter and move things forward.” — Karen Kawashima
  • Phone: (312) 379-8547
  • Fax: (312) 939-0983