Karen M. Lerner, Esq.

Karen M. Lerner is a distinguished attorney with a successful career in litigating complex class actions, recovering billions for institutional and individual plaintiffs. Renowned for her expertise, Ms. Lerner's civil trial work encompasses professional liability cases on the defense side, as well as serving in groundbreaking leadership positions prosecuting global financial institutions for price-fixing conspiracies, seeking to combat monopolies in big tech, and rooting out institutional fraud. She recently played pivotal roles in several landmark antitrust cases and is one of the few women ever appointed as Interim Co-Lead Class Counsel in a Commodity Exchange Act case alleging manipulation by a Wall Street bank. Notably, Ms. Lerner has been named twice to the Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar by The National Law Journal for repeated success in cutting-edge legal work. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Lerner is passionate about mentoring the next generation. She has guided three women from paralegal roles into competitive law schools and her associate, a first-generation college graduate, was promoted to partner. Her commitment to mentorship extends to promoting volunteerism and advocating for diversity and inclusion within the legal community. Ms. Lerner is a member of the Women Antitrust Plaintiffs' Attorneys and the Women of The Anti-Fraud Coalition, both dedicated to empowering women attorneys in underrepresented fields. To inspire future litigators, she judges the University of Albany Annual Moot Court Competition. 

For over twenty years, Ms. Lerner has been a member of the Junior League of Bergen County, serving multiple terms on the Board of Directors. She has received the Sustainer Award for her dedication and the Janet Van Alstyne Award for her impactful leadership in the community. Through the League, she mentored the winning 2024 Youth of the Year for the NJ Boys and Girls Club and served on the Advisory Council for the Woodlea/PATH I Home, a group home for at-risk youths. Additionally, Ms. Lerner mentors high performing underserved students through Path to College and received the Lodi School District Golden Apple Award for her fundraising efforts supporting the arts. As Program Development Director for the non-profit Kula for Karma, she initiated complementary therapeutic yoga programs and has served on her town's Educational Foundation and Parent Teacher Organization Executive Board. In her personal life Ms. Lerner enjoys hiking and recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is a black belt in mixed-martial arts, completed four marathons, and is a yoga and aerobics instructor.