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Karen Barth Menzies, Esq.

Founder, KBM Law

Attorney Karen Barth Menzies represents the survivors of sexual assault, and she advocates for women’s health causes. For more than 25 years, Karen has litigated in federal and state courts throughout the country, and she has served as lead counsel, liaison counsel, and as a member of plaintiff steering committees for some of the largest pharmaceutical and medical device mass tort cases. She has been involved in litigation involving The Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse lawsuit, and she represents women suffering permanent baldness following breast cancer treatments with Taxotere.

Recently, Karen has emerged as a leader in litigating sexual assault claims that have been made viable because of legislation in New York and California that has impacted the statutes of limitation, allowing survivors with previously documented claims to pursue justice in the civil courts. Beyond simply holding predators liable for their crimes, Karen is dedicated to taking on the industries and institutions that silence survivors and foster and protect the sexual predators within their ranks.

As a plaintiff advocate, Karen has testified twice before FDA Advisory Boards as well as the California State Legislature on the safety concerns regarding SSRI antidepressants and the manufacturers’ misconduct. She has also advised victim advocacy groups in their efforts to inform governmental agencies and legislative bodies of harm caused by corporations.

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Fighting Gender Injustice

  • Class Actions
  • Complex and Multi-District Litigation
  • Consumer Litigation
  • Lender Liability
  • Personal Injury
  • Pharmaceutical Drug Liability
  • Product Liability Law
  • Wrongful Death Law

Admissions

  • California State Bar Admission 1995
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2008 – present
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1999 – present
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1995 – present
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1999 – present
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2006 – present
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2006 – present

MEMBER

  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section and Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
  • The American Association for Justice, formerly ATLA, STEP-Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts Section
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
  • Women’s Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
  • National Association of Women Lawyers
  • Public Justice
  • National Civil Justice Institute
  • National Crime Victim Bar Association
  • End Violence Against Women

Federal and State Court-Appointed Leadership Positions

  • Co-Lead Plaintiff Counsel, In re Farmers Covid-19 Business Cases, California JCCP 5125, Los Angeles Superior Court, Complex Division, Hon. Amy D. Hogue, 2021
  • Co-Lead Plaintiff Counsel, In re Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2740, Eastern District of Louisiana, Hon. Jane Triche Milazzo, 2017
  • Co-Liaison Plaintiff Counsel, Zoloft Birth Defects Litigation, California JCCP 4771, Orange County Superior Court, Complex Division, Hon. Kim Garlin Dunning, 2014
  • Member, Plaintiff Steering Committee, Effexor, MDL 2458, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hon. Cynthia M. Rufe, 2013
  • Co-Liaison/Lead Plaintiff Counsel, Co-Liaison Settlement Counsel, Transvaginal Mesh Litigations, California JCCP 4733, Los Angeles Superior Court, Complex Division, Hon. William F. Highberger, 2013
  • Co-Chair of Commercial, Marketing and Sales Committee, Zoloft Birth Defects Litigation, MDL 2342, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hon. Cynthia M. Rufe, 2012
  • Member, Plaintiff Steering Committee Transvaginal Mesh Litigations, MDL 2187, 2325, 2326, 2327, 2387, Southern District of West Virginia at Charleston, Hon. Joseph R. Goodwin, 2012
  • Co-Lead/Co-Liaison Counsel, Coordinated Celexa/Lexapro Birth Defects Litigation, Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri, Case No. 08AC-CC00566, Hon. Patricia S. Joyce, 2012
  • Plaintiff’s Liaison/Lead and Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, Fosamax, California JCCP 4644, Orange County Superior Court, Complex Division, Hon. Thierry P. Colaw, 2011
  • Member, Science Committee, Heparin Products Liability, MDL 1953 Northern District of Ohio, Hon. James G. Carr, 2009
  • Member, Plaintiff Steering Committee, and Co-Chair Sales/Marketing Committee, Avandia Marketing, Sales and Product Liability, MDL 1871, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hon. Cynthia M. Rufe, 2008
  • Co-Lead/Liaison in Paxil Birth Defects Litigation, Pennsylvania Mass Tort Program Case No. 3220, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Hon. Sandra Mazer Moss, 2006
  • Lead Counsel and Member, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, Paxil Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1574, Central District of California, Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer, 2003

Published Cases

  • Prudential Home Mort. Co. v. Superior Court 66 Cal.App.4th 1236 (1998)
  • Motus v. Pfizer, Inc. 127 F.Supp.2d 1085 (C.D. Cal. 2000)
  • In re Paxil Lit. 218 F.R.D. 242 (C.D. Cal. 2003)
  • Cartwright v. Pfizer, Inc. 369 F.Supp.2d 876 (E.D. Tex. 2005)
  • Barton v. United States District Court for Central Dist. of Cal. 410 F.3d 1106 (9th Cir. 2005)
  • Witczak v. Pfizer, Inc. 377 F.Supp.2d 726 (D. Minn. 2005)

Author

  • “Successful Handling of Wrongful Death Cases in California: Quirks of Courts” Lorman Education Services, January, 2002
  • “Biting the Magic Bullet: A Look at the SSRI Litigation” Harris Martin’s Columns: Drugs & Supplements. August 2002
  • “The Fox in the Chicken Coop” FDA’s Recent Intervention in Pharmaceutical Litigation, ATLA Education, 2003
  • “The Antidepressant Controversy: The Growth Of A New Area Of Litigation,” Mealey’s Litigation Report Antidepressant Drugs, 2004
  • “A Cure Worse Than the Disease – Recent FDA actions and newly disclosed research on the link between antidepressants and suicide – especially among young people – are strengthening plaintiffs’ claims against drug makers” TRIAL, 2005
  • “The FDA’s Dilemma: Safety Failures, Public Scrutiny, and Industry Influence” ATLA Education, 2005
  • “Internet Disclaimers: Do they waive the attorney-client privilege protection?” ABA Conference “The Future of Class Action Litigation in America”
  • “Preemption and the FDA — Politics as Usual” ATLA Annual Conference, February, 2006
  • “Preamble To FDA Final Rule: FDA s Latest Effort To Immunize Drug Manufacturers From Tort Liability At The Expense of Consumer Safety” Mealey’s Emerging Drugs & Devices, February 2006; Mealey’s Litigation Report: Antidepressant Report, February 2006
  • “Discovery of FDA and Other Regulatory Agency Evidence,” ATLA Education Reference Materials, ATLA 2006 Annual Convention
  • Birth Defects And Other Threats To Mom And Baby Associated With Paxil, Mealey’s Litigation Report: Antidepressant Report, October 2006
  • “Preemption and Negligent Pharmacovigilance” ATLA Education Seminar, Protecting the Public: Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation, November, 2006
  • Focus on Facts to Defeat Preemption, TRIAL, March 1, 2007

Education

  • Colorado State University (B.A., 1989)
  • University of California School of Law, Davis, California (J.D., 1995)
  • Moot Court Board; National Moot Court and Trial Competitions
  • Law Clerk, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Denver, 1993
  • Legal Intern to Justice Davis, California 3rd District Appellate Court, Sacramento, 1994
  • Law Clerk, California Attorney General’s Office, Sacramento, 1994
  • Legal Intern, Sacramento District Attorney’s Office, 1995

Lectures and Speeches

  • “Successful Handling of Wrongful Death Cases in California,” Lorman Education Services, Los Angeles, CA, August, 2001
  • “SSRI Drugs: Suicide, Homicide, Seizures, Dependency, A Scientific Symposium,” Extant Medical Legal Consulting, LLC, Philadelphia, PA, October, 2002
  • “Case Management and Electronic Discovery in Pharmaceutical Litigation,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Dallas, TX, July, 2003
  • “The New Frontier: Emerging Litigation in the Mass Tort Arena: Antidepressants/SSRI’s,“ Mealey’s LexisNexis presents, Wall Street Forum: Mass Tort Litigation Conference, New York, NY, July, 2003
  • “The Rising Tide of Pharmaceutical Lawsuits, What the Practitioner Needs to Know About the Future of Psychiatric Drug Litigation,” Safe Harbor’s Third Annual Medical Conference: “Non-Pharmaceutical Approaches to Mental Disorders,” Glendale, CA, June, 2004
  • “FDA Oversight of Drug and Medical Devices and Preemption,” The American Bar Association Health Law Section and The ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education TeleConference, October, 2004
  • “Pharmaceutical Update: Vioxx and SSRIs – SSRIs: The Connection Between Antidepressants, Violence and Suicide,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America TeleConference, October, 2004
  • “Federal Preemption – How the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Has Become an Advocate for the Drug Industry Against the Consumers It Has a Duty to Protect” – SSRIs and Collisions Between Medical, Legal and Regulatory Worlds, Presented to the 29th International Congress On Law and Mental Health, Paris, France, July 2-8, 2005 HANDOUT
  • “The FDA’s Dilemma – Safety Failures, Public Scrutiny and Industry Influence” Topic: What’s Wrong at the FDA?, ATLA’s Pharmaceutical Seminar, “Trends and Hot Topics in Pharmaceutical Litigation,” Las Vegas, NV, September 16-17, 2005
  • “Class Actions and MDLs – Hot Topics in Class Actions” – “The Future of Class Action Litigation in America” American Bar Association, Washington, D.C., November 9-11, 2005
  • “Antidepressant SSRI-induced Suicide Risks, Public Forum on Antidepressant Drugs: Risks, Benefits and Alternatives,” The Recovery System’s Clinic, Mill Valley, CA, December 6, 2005
  • “Science, Regulation and Litigation Issues Regarding the SSRI-Antidepressants” – “Drug Safety, Best Practices, Litigation Update, Regulatory Developments” Insight Information-ALM, Toronto, Canada, January, 23-25, 2006
  • “Best Practices in Plaintiff-oriented Pharmaceutical Litigation – Lessons for Canada” Strategic Panel Discussion and Master Class – “Drug Safety, Best Practices, Litigation Update, Regulatory Developments” Insight Information-ALM, Toronto, Canada, January, 23-25, 2006
  • “Protecting the Public: Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation – Panel: Drug Update – Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and other SSRIs” 2006 ATLA Winter Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii, February 18-22, 2006
  • “Update on Discovery Tools: FDA/Regulatory Discovery” ATLA Education Program Section on Toxic, Environmental, and Pharmaceutical Torts (STEP) Panel – 2006 ATLA- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention, Seattle, Washington, July 15-19, 2006
  • “Identifying The Emerging Areas of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation” Antidepressant Paxil: Allegations of suicide connected with the use of this antidepressant and the current status of the national class action, Mealey’s™ Teleconference: Emerging Drugs and Medical Devices August 17, 2006
  • “SSRIs and Suicide in Children” ACAM — American College for Advancement in Medicine — “Neurorestoration: Integrative Approaches to Brain Health, Palm Springs, California, November 1-5, 2006
  • “Preemption and Negligent Pharmacovigilance” ATLA – Association of Trial Lawyers of America — ATLA Education Seminar — Protecting the Public: Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 17-18, 2006
  • Panel Moderator and speaker for documentary screening, “Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety,” shown at the 4th Annual Pacific Palisades Film Festival, Social Justice Program, presented by Friends Of Film and Palisades Enrichment Programs, Pacific Palisades, California, May 19, 2007
  • “Homicide and Psychotropic Drugs,” 30th International Congress on Law and Mental Health – The International Academy of Law and Mental Health (IALMH), Padua, Italy, June 25-30, 2007
  • “Avandia: The Liability Story; FDA; Clinical Studies; Recent publications in NEJM,” Avandia Teleseminar, American Association for Justice Education, June 28, 2007
  • The American Association for Justice (formerly ATLA) Aviation Law Section, STEP-Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts Section
  • “Preemption in Pharmaceutical Cases,” Preemption Law Litigation Group Panel: Preemption Updates and Roundtable Discussion, American Association for Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention, Chicago, July 14-18, 2007
  • “Bringing the Remote Office Closer” Trial Magazine March 2017
  • “Personal Jurisdiction in Mass Torts and Class Actions: Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court (Cal. 2016)” Mass Torts Judicial Forum with Judge Corodemus and JAMS April 2017
  • “Location, Location, Location, Part II: State Court Consolidations” AAJ Mass Torts Best Practices Seminar July 2017
  • “505(b)(2) Defendants – The Non-Generic Alternative; Social Media and Support Groups; Settlement Committees” AAJ Section of Torts, Environmental and Products Liability (STEP): On the Cutting Edge of Torts Litigation July 2018
  • “Taxotere Litigation: Federal MDL 2740, New Orleans and State Court Jurisdictions” Mass Torts Made Perfect October 2018
  • “Federal and State Court Coordination of Mass Tort Litigation: Navigating State Court vs. Multidistrict Litigation” Mass Torts Made Perfect October 2018
  • “A Funny Thing Did Happen on the Way to the Forum: Navigating the New Landscape of Personal Jurisdiction Challenges” ABA Section of Litigation 2019 Environmental & Energy, Mass Torts, and Products Liability Litigation Committees’ Joint CLE Seminar, March 2018
  • “Deposing the Treating/Prescribing Physician, Learned Intermediary, The One Potentially Fatal Fact Witness” American Association for Justice Convention: Discovery and Litigation Strategies for Drug and Device Cases, February 2019
  • “Prepping for the Prescriber Deposition” Trial Magazine, American Association for Justice, January 2020
  • “The New Normal: Working From Home” Trial Magazine, American Association for Justice, June 2020
  • “Breakout Session – Taxotere Litigation Update: The Potential Settlement Landscape (Only for Representatives of Taxotere Hair Loss Plaintiffs)” Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP) – April 2023 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • “Sexual Assault Litigation Update” Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP) – April 2023 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • “Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation” 360 Advocacy – Auto, Truck, Damages Extravaganza, Las Vegas, Nevada, June, 2023.

The Dissenters

A punk rock enthusiast, Karen plays bass with The Dissenters, a band of like-minded female attorneys who share a common love of music and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.