David M. Karen, Esq. / Mediator | Arbitrator

After 35 years of practice as a trial attorney representing both plaintiff and defense interests, coupled with over 20 years of court ordered and private mediations and arbitrations, ABOTA member, David M. Karen brings a wealth of sophisticated civil litigation and trial experience. Having participated as lead trial counsel in most every type of civil related dispute, he has resolved over 500 matters as a neutral over his career. David is now available as a full-time Mediator, Arbitrator and Discovery Referee, exclusively at Judicate West.

Having begun his mediation career in 1999 as a panelist with the LA Superior Court, he has consistently grown his private mediation practice. Acting as pro tem settlement judge handling MSC’s with the Ventura Superior Court in beginning in 2002, he met the Honorable David W. Long (Ret.) and his career as a well-respected, balanced neutral has continued to gain a steady following. In 2014 he formally joined forces with Judge Long, taking over the helm of Creative Dispute Resolution (CDR), Ventura County’s most active ADR provider, continuing in the expansion of mediation excellence originally established by veteran mediator, Paul Fritz, Esq. in 1986.

With an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Accounting, David is adept with the financial aspects involved in virtually any and all civil litigation matters. He has been senior managing partner of his own firm (DK Law Group), representing both plaintiffs, self-insureds and carrier represented defendants throughout his career. His business acumen and broad based trial experience has allowed him to gain a unique and astute ability to keenly understand and manage the complex intricacies related to risk assessment and management in guiding his clientele, both as counsel and as a neutral.

Over the decades, he has been repeatedly described as being a creative, engaging, and a savvy mediator. As a result of his upbeat personality and balanced representation of interests throughout his legal career, David has developed the unique ability to both communicate and garner the trust of both the parties and counsel in helping guide matters to resolution.

David states: I am a real believer in transparency in all dialogue. When all the hype and drama gets stripped away and the decision-makers are able to understand others’ perspectives through deft communication toward achieving shared goals, transformation happens. While every mediation is different, the personalities and the genuine needs of the parties, when finally exposed, help create avenues for meeting the needs of the parties. There is not much in life that brings more professional satisfaction to me than helping others find meaningful closure.

• Mediator, Arbitrator (1999-Present)
• Mediator, Arbitrator, Creative Dispute Resolution (2014-Present)
• ADR Panelist, Los Angeles Superior Court (1999-2010)
• Settlement Pro Tem, Ventura County Superior Court (2002-2015)
• Mediator, Arbitrator, 11^th Hour Mediation (1999-2015)
• Senior Managing Partner, DK Law Group (2011-Present)
• Law Offices of David M. Karen (1997-2011)
• Lovretovich & Karen (1989-1997)
• Goldstone & Lovretovich (1985-1988)
• Risley & Goor (1983-1985)

• J.D., Loyola Law School (1984)
• B. S., California State University, Northridge (1981)
• Mediation Training, Pepperdine University School of Law/Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
  • Mediating the Litigated Case (2000)
  • Employment, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Advanced Mediation Training (2003)
  • Advanced Mediation Training (2004)
  • Improvised Mediation (2007)
  • Preventing Bad Settlement Decisions and Impasse (2012)

• Business/Contractual
• Construction Defect
• Government Liability
• All types of Personal Injury and Products Liability
• Employment
• Professional (Medical and Legal)
• Real Estate disputes

• Mr. Karen has been the Chair of the ADR committee, Ventura County Bar Association since 2013
• Moderated numerous MCLE seminars for various plaintiff and defense groups
• Founder, DKLG/CDR Internship Program, Mock Trial Participants, 2014-present

Mr. Karen’s interests include tennis, golf, travel and theater. He’s an active United States Tennis Association player, has hit on the red clay in Monte Carlo, watched Rafa Nadal at the French Open, Roger Federer at the U.S. Open, and has played with the Bryan Brothers for charity. His favorite theater experiences include seeing Hamilton and Witness for the Prosecution in London. His bucket list items that remain are to see the pros play at Wimbledon, get to the Australian Open and hopes to set foot at Augusta to see the Masters.

All of California