Karen Tanenbaum advises progressive organizations on all aspects of employment law compliance. She conducts sensitive workplace investigations; negotiates separation agreements; advises leadership on performance, discipline, reasonable accommodations, and discrimination, retaliation, and sex harassment claims; conducts trainings; and crafts handbooks and policies that align with the client’s values. She also represents and advises individual employees on federal, state, and local employment laws.

Prior to joining Trister Ross, Karen was an attorney with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal oversight and prosecutorial agency, where she oversaw sensitive investigations into whistleblower disclosures and investigated and resolved employee complaints involving retaliation, discrimination, and other workplace misconduct.

Karen also litigated for a leading national employment law firm, where she represented individual employees facing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She began her legal career in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and has worked and volunteered with several progressive non-profit organizations.

She is the proud parent of one cat, one dog, and one human, and currently splits her time between Southern Spain and the District of Columbia.

Practice Areas
Employment Law

Professional Experience
Attorney, U.S. Office of Special Counsel
Associate Attorney, Bernabei & Wachtel, PLLC (now Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC)
Judicial Law Clerk, The Hon. Patricia A. Broderick, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Law Clerk, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Legal Fellow, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Education
University of Georgia School of Law , J.D., Cum Laude
University of Georgia, B.A., Honors College, Summa Cum Laude

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia
Georgia

Publications & Speaking
Sexual Orientation and Identity in Employment Law, Audio Conference for West Legal Education Center (with Dave Wachtel, Esq.)