Attorney Profiles

Karen Kohler Fitzgerald 
Dallas, Texas
phone 214-265-9958 (Direct Dial)
fax (214) 265-7411
email Email Me

Karen Fitzgerald, is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Karen engages in a litigation practice with an emphasis on employment and commercial litigation and disputes.  In her employment practice, Karen has represented both employees and employers in regard to employment disputes of all types, including the following:

  • discrimination claims
  • retaliation
  • overtime/wage and hour claims
  • unpaid wages, bonuses and commissions
  • severance agreements
  • non-competition agreements
  • non-disclosure agreements.

    Karen also is a Neutral on the American Arbitration Association's Employment Law panel.

    In addition to employment matters, Karen's broad based commercial litigation and business dispute practice includes contract disputes, financial institution litigation, fraudulent and forged checks or negotiable instruments, insurance litigation, libel and slander claims, legal malpractice claims, fidelity insurance litigation, copyright and artist legal issues.

    Board Certified-Labor & Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

    Karen was named as a Super Lawyer in the Texas Monthly Super Lawyer's Edition for 2005, 2006 and 2007.  In 2004 and 2005, Karen also was featured as a Rising Star in the Texas Monthly Super Lawyer's Edition.   

  • Areas of Practice:
    Litigation
    Employment and Commercial Litigation and Disputes
    Discrimination Claims
    Overtime/Wage and Hour Claims
    Unpaid Wages, Bonuses and Commissions
    Severance Agreements
    Non-Competition Agreements
    Non-Disclosure Agreements
    Contract Disputes
    Financial Institution Litigation
    Fraudulent and Forged Checks or Negotiable Instruments
    Insurance Litigation
    Libel and Slander Claims
    Legal Malpractice Claims
    Fidelity Insurance Litigation
    Bar Admissions:
    Texas, 1989
    U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
    U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
    U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
    U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
    U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
    Education:
    The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
    J.D.
    Honors: Graduated with Honors


    Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    B.A.
    Major:  Journalism


    Published Works:
    Salvage and Recovery Under the Commercial Crime Policy, Annotated Commercial Crime Policy (2d Ed), American Bar Associate, (Editors Cole S. Kain & Lana M. Glovach), 2006


    She Works Hard for the Money; Equal Pay Act of 1963 Update (Co-Author), HR Southwest Conference, October, 2004


    Check Fraud and the Fidelity Insurer (Co-Author), VII Fid. L. J., 2001


    Times May be Changing for Texas Employers (Co-Author), Texas Building Trends, March/April, 2001


    The Dow Has Gone Crazy: What is an Insurer To Do?, Fidelity Law Association Meeting, Boston, October, 1999


    Claims Asserted Against Insurance Professionals, Dallas Association of Insurance Women, April, 1999


    The Loan Exclusion: Allocating Business Risks to the Banker, American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, November, 1998


    Making the Case for Recovery Under the Financial Institution Bond, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, January, 1998


    Wrongful Repossession and Personal Property Foreclosure: When Things Go Wrong, Advanced DTPA/Insurance/Consumer Law Course (Co-Author), State Bar of Texas, May, 1995


    The Loan Exclusion: The Predominant Risk Allocator (Co-Author), American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, 1995


    When is a Third Party Loss a Covered Claim? (Co-Author), American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, August, 1994


    Staying Out of the Courthouse: The Pros and Cons of Agreements to Arbitrate Employment Disputes, Personnel Law Update 1993, Council of Education Management, March, 1993


    Recoveries Chapter, First Supplement to the Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated (Co-Author), TIPS Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated, 1991


    Defending Insurers and Their Agents, Advanced DTPA - Consumer Law Course (Co-Author), State Bar of Texas, May, 1990


    Representative Cases:
    American Airlines Employees Federal Credit Union v. Martin, 29 S.W.3d 86 (Tex. 2000)
    Knights of Columbus Credit Union v. Stock, 814 S.W.2d 427 (Tex. App. -- Dallas 1991)
    FDIC v. Firemens Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, 109 F.3d 1084 (5th Cir. 1997)
    FDIC v. U.S. Fire Insurance Co., 50 F.3d 1304 (5th Cir. 1995)
    Fidelity Bank National Association v. Aldrich, 998 F.Supp. 717 (N.D. Tex. 1997)
    Classes/Seminars Taught:
    Panelist, Winning Strategies and Case Presentation in Employment Arbitrations---A Conversation with Arbitrators, Tarrant County Bar Association Employment Arbitration Program, 2008


    Co-Speaker, She Works Hard for the Money; Equal Pay Act of 1963 Update, North Texas Compensation Association, 2005


    Speaker, Check Fraud and the Fidelity Insurer, Fidelity Law Association 2001 Meeting, Baltimore, 2001


    Speaker, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Employment Law But Were Afraid to Ask, National Association of Women in Construction, Dallas Chapter, 2001


    Speaker, The Dow Has Gone Crazy: What is an Insurer To Do?, Fidelity Law Association Meeting, Boston, 1999


    Speaker, Claims Asserted Against Insurance Professionals, Dallas Association of Insurance Women, 1999


    Speaker, The Loan Exclusion: Allocating Business Risks to the Banker, American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, 1998


    Speaker, Making the Case for Recovery Under the Financial Institution Bond, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee Mid-Winter Meeting, 1998


    Co-Speaker, When is a Third Party Loss a Covered Claim?, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, 1994


    Professional Associations and Memberships:
    Dallas Bar Association
    Member


    American Bar Association
    Member


    State Bar of Texas
    Member


    American Arbitration Association
    Employment Law Panel