J. KARREN BAKER
About
Before starting her mediation practice in 2015, Karren Baker practiced law for 25 years. Karren litigated business disputes in federal and state courts. Much of Karren’s litigation career dealt with insurance coverage disputes, most often representing large, international insurers. That experience makes Karren particularly well-suited to mediate cases where an insurance company is either a party or insures one or more parties to a dispute.
Karren is uniquely knowledgeable about all types of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, professional liability, directors and officers, environmental impairment liability and errors and omissions. She is also well acquainted with issues concerning captive insurance companies and off-shore insurers.
Karren is adept at handling complex, multi-day mediations involving numerous parties/insurers, as well as more straightforward, 2-party disputes. Employing a direct but easy-going style, Karren guides mediation participants through key issues and encourages collaboration in order to bridge disagreements and focus on practical solutions.
Education
J.D. Georgetown University Law Center (1990)
B.A., History and English, Tulane University (1987)
M.S., Information Sciences, University of Tennessee (pending)
Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court
California State Bar
Tennessee State Bar
United States District Court, Central District California (1990)
United States District Court, Southern District California (1991)
United States District Court, Northern District California (1996)
United States District Court, Eastern District California (1996)
Memberships & Advanced Education
Association of Attorney Mediators
Pepperdine University, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution: Mediating the Litigated Case (6-Day program)
Areas of Practice
Insurance Coverage (including Third-Party General Liability, First Party, Reinsurance, Subrogation, Bad Faith,
Offshore/Captive Issues, CA Civ. Code Sec. 2860)
Government & Municipality (coverage)
Product Liability (coverage)
Advertising Injury (coverage)
Environmental (coverage & liability)
Construction Defect (coverage & liability)
Workplace Harassment
Intellectual Property
Breach of Commercial Contracts/Leases
Property Owner/Neighbor Disputes
Attorney Professional Liability
Attorney Compensation & Fee Disputes
Antitrust
Securities Fraud
Premises Liability
Probate/Trust Disputes
Education Law
Entertainment Law
Non-Compete Agreements
Non-Profit Organizations
Appellate
E-Discovery Disputes
Certification
Karren has mediated more than a hundred cases across the country.
** Rule 31 Listed Mediator (Civil) by the Tennessee Supreme Court
** Florida Supreme Court Certification as Circuit Civil Mediator: IN PROCESS