About Karen E.
Karen E. Deschaine built a legal and business education that spans military, academic and financial disciplines. She combined a scientific approach to economics with formal training in finance and law. The result is a profile that sits at the intersection of law, business and organized institutions.
She began her studies at the United States Military Academy, where she earned a B.S. in Economics. She later completed an M.B.A. in Finance at Auburn University, and finished her formal legal training at the University of California, Los Angeles, receiving a J.D. with a business law emphasis. Those degrees shape how she approaches legal problems and client matters.
Her memberships in professional organizations date back to the mid-2000s. She has been active in the American Bar Association since 2004. She joined The Lawyers Club of San Diego and the National Association of Women Lawyers in 2007. She became involved with Athena San Diego in 2008. Since 2006 she has served on the board of Ms. JD and holds the role of Chief Financial Officer there. Those affiliations reflect an interest in professional networks, governance and issues affecting women in the law.
In private practice she served as an associate at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP. At that firm she worked inside a large, multi-office environment that handles a range of corporate and transactional matters. Her academic background in business law and finance informed that work.
Colleagues describe her approach as methodical and exacting. She favors careful analysis and clear explanations. She has balanced technical legal tasks with responsibilities that call for financial literacy, including board-level oversight in a nonprofit legal organization.
Based in San Diego, she is licensed to practice in California. Her career path ties together the analytical training of an economics degree, advanced study of finance, and a law degree centered on business law. She remains active in professional groups that connect legal practice, business leadership and the advancement of women lawyers.
She currently practices law in California from her San Diego office and maintains active involvement in professional and nonprofit legal organizations.
