Karen E. Escalante is counsel at Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein (“ADK”), where she handles complex commercial litigation, white collar defense, and internal investigations. Prior to joining ADK, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for eight years. As an AUSA, she investigated and prosecuted complex financial crimes including securities fraud, insider trading, wire fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering. She has tried both bench and jury trials to verdict and has also briefed and argued multiple cases before the Ninth Circuit.

Prior to becoming an AUSA, she clerked for the Honorable Fernando M. Olguin of the United States District Court for the Central District of California and the Honorable Rubén Castillo of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She also worked as a litigator at Morrison & Foerster in Washington, D.C.

Escalante earned her JD from the University of Chicago Law School. During law school, she was a member of the University of Chicago Legal Forum. She graduated with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies (with Highest Honors).

Escalante has taught Trial Advocacy at USC Gould School of Law since 2023.