Karen Christian > Akin > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile
Akin Offices
Robert S. Strauss Tower
2001 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006-1037
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
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Karen Christian
Work Department
Partner; Disputes & Investigations
Position
Karen Christian has spent nearly 13 years conducting and overseeing congressional investigations. She counsels clients who may find themselves subjects of congressional probes or who are contending with potential associated regulatory, legislative or litigation challenges.
Karen has served as former general counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and chief counsel to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In her role as general counsel to the Committee, Karen oversaw and ran some of the most high-profile, complex congressional investigations of the last decade.
Karen brings her background to bear to advise clients in congressional investigations and related oversight. She helps them develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses parallel civil, criminal, state attorneys general, inspector general, Government Accountability Office and other regulatory investigations. She also lends her experience to formulate defensive and/or affirmative corresponding legislative strategy and to address a broad range of regulatory issues.
To learn more about Karen, please visit her full profile: https://www.akingump.com/en/lawyers-advisors/karen-elizabeth-christian.html
Career
Ms. Christian served as former general counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and chief counsel to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In her role as general counsel to the Committee, Karen oversaw and ran some of the most high-profile, complex congressional investigations of the last decade.
Memberships
District of Columbia Bar
Education
J.D., The Ohio State University College of Law, with honors, 2001; B.A., Ohio University, magna cum laude, 1996
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Government > Government relations
Akin‘s exceptionally deep bench is comprised of both lawyers and nonlawyer advisors with extensive experience in the political sphere. Availing themselves of a long reach across congressional committees, the executive branch, and federal agencies, the team is recognized for its tax, trade, healthcare, energy, financial services, and environment expertise. The firm’s distinct congressional investigations arm is also renowned for being a major player in the most sensitive and high-profile proceedings. Tax, health, transportation, tech and financial services specialist Hunter Bates jointly chairs the public law and policy group with premier international trade lobbyist Brian Pomper. Raphael Prober and Karen Christian bring federal executive and congressional experience to their leadership of the congressional investigations team. Arshi Siddiqui draws on policy and political knowhow from her tenure as senior policy advisor to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Ed Pagano has served in the Obama administration as Senate Liaison and Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, and Clete Willems has been a lead negotiator with China during the Trump administration. Tom Moyer advises financial services, education, and defense sector clients in government investigations. Christopher Treanor, who is well-versed in Inflation Reduction Act and natural gas matters, was promoted to partner in January 2024. Reggie Babin, who served as chief counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and is highly sought after as an AI lobbyist, joined the firm as senior counsel in January 2023.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Government > Government relations
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- International trade and national security > Trade remedies and trade policy
Firm Rankings
- Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Industry focus > Education
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Industry focus > Native American law
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- Government > Government contracts
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: middle-market (Up to $500m)
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- International trade and national security > CFIUS
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- Finance > Project finance
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Industry focus > Sport
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism