Karen Chisholm Brisch

EDUCATION & HONORS

Clerkship, Honorable Richard D. Cudahy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The University of Chicago Law School , J.D. cum laude, 1994
The University of Chicago Law Review
Order of the Coif
The University of Florida, B.A. cum laude, 1991
Phi Beta Kappa

Karen Chisholm Brisch has extensive experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial cases, independent investigations, and employment matters. Ms. Brisch spent the early years of her practice at Baker Botts, L.L.P., where she split her time between commercial litigation and employment disputes. Ms. Brisch joined Baker Botts after completing a clerkship on United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Prior to her clerkship, Ms. Brisch attended the University of Chicago, where she served on the Law Review and graduated in the top ten percent of her class. At Baker Botts, Ms. Brisch's commercial work primarily involved oil and gas litigation, corporate investigations, and arbitrations. One of Ms. Brisch's cases, Pennzoil Exploration & Production Co. v. Ramco Energy Limited, 139 F.3d 1061 (5^th Cir. 1998), was a landmark ruling in the Fifth Circuit's arbitration jurisprudence and is frequently cited today. Ms. Brisch's other work at Baker Botts involved representing employers under state and federal statutes, with significant experience in the areas of ERISA litigation, age discrimination, and sexual harassment.

After leaving Baker Botts, Ms. Brisch expanded her practice to include corporate investigations, executive employment, and appellate matters. Her experience in corporate investigations has included the representation of corporations conducting investigations of various allegations of wrong-doing in matters implicating Sarbanes-Oxley, Treasury regulations, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Ms. Brisch has also represented audit committees in independent investigations and assisted as independent counsel to a special litigation committee in a shareholder derivative action. Ms. Brisch frequently consults executives regarding executive employment contracts and proposed severance agreements. Before joining AZA, Ms. Brisch spent time as a Staff Attorney at the Fourteenth Court of Appeals.

In addition to practicing law, Ms. Brisch is interested in the field of medical ethics. For three years, she assisted with the first year medical ethics course at Baylor College of Medicine. She has also served on a bioethics working group to study the role of hope in pediatric cancer trials.

REPORTED CASES

Pennzoil Exploration & Production Co. v. Ramco Energy Limited, 139 F.3d 1061 (5^th Cir. 1998) (compelling arbitration in case involving multiple overlapping agreements).

Ferguson v. Texasgulf, 67 Empl. Prac. Dec. 43,947, 5 A.D. Cases 722 (S.D. Tex. 1996) (granting summary judgment in case under the ADA), aff'd, 106 F.3d 397 (5^th Cir. 1997) (table).

Grogan v. Savings of Am., Inc., 118 F. Supp. 2d 741 (S.D. Tex.) (granting summary judgment in case under the ADEA), aff'd, 202 F.3d 265 (5^th Cir. 1999) (table).

Hoxie Implement Co. v. Baker, 65 S.W.3d 140 (Tex. App. Amarillo 2001, pet. denied) (usury).

CORPORATE INVESTIGATIONS

Representation of an exploration and development company regarding currency export and FCPA issues arising from activities in Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea.

Representation of the certain fiduciaries of a large oil and gas company involved in class-action litigation under ERISA

Representation of the special litigation committee of a publicly traded energy company in connection with derivative litigation alleging improper trading activities

Representation of an international energy company in an independent investigation of allegations involving the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Representation of the audit committee of an international chemical company in an investigation of allegations of race and age discrimination by one of its senior executives

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**Nothing on this web page is intended to represent that Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos currently represents any particular clients mentioned because matters and client relationships naturally terminate from time to time.

***Ms. Brisch is not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.