Home Attorneys Karen M. Sosa

Karen M. Sosa | Associate

About

Karen came to Werksman Jackson & Quinn from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, where she prosecuted in four courthouses across LA County. Previously, she practiced in Virginia, first as a public defender in one of Virginia's toughest counties, and then as a prosecutor in the state’s largest prosecutor's office. Karen has handled a variety of criminal cases – from traffic offenses to murders – and has won successful outcomes at trial as well as in pre- and post-trial litigation.

After graduating from Columbia University, Karen attended UCLA School of Law, where she clerked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., and for the Major Crimes Unit in the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. After law school, Karen earned a Master’s degree (LL.M.) with a specialization in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the London School of Economics and worked in London as a criminal justice policy advisor.

Karen is a member of the California and Virginia state bars.

Education

London School of Economics | 2010

University of California Los Angeles School of Law | 2009

Columbia University | 2006

Bar Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • State Bar of Virginia
  • United States District Court-Central District of California
Honors and Awards
  • National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyer (2023)
  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyer (2023)
Professional Associations
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
Volunteer Work
  • Greene Broillet & Wheeler National Civil Trial Competition Judge (2022)
  • UCLA Law Skye Donald 1L Moot Court Competition Judge (2022)
  • UCLASSIC Mock Trial Invitational Tournament Judge (2022)
  • American Mock Trial Association Opening Round Championship Judge (2020)
Recent Case Results
  • Federal Custody Time Avoided: Karen prepares sentencing position papers for our clients in federal court, where the exact terms of the sentence are up to the judge, notwithstanding any agreements or stipulations contained in the plea agreement. In a recent case involving theft of federal trade secret information, Probation calculated a Guidelines range of 30 to 37 months and recommended a sentence of 21 months in federal prison. By gathering nearly 30 reference letters, presenting the client's history and character in the best light, and arguing the legal principles that favored a lower sentence, Karen secured a sentence of only 8 months, all of which was to be served in the community, avoiding prison entirely. (2023)
  • Insurance Fraud Charges Dismissed: Karen represents doctors and other medical professionals facing fraud prosecutions from local and state agencies. In two representative cases in 2022, Karen secured a complete dismissal of charges for clients charged with insurance fraud. In one case, Karen represented a doctor who was charged with 26 counts of fraud, wrongly accused of prescribing medications in order to financially benefit from a kickback scheme. In another case, Karen represented a pharmacy owner who was charged with 27 counts relating to insurance fraud, despite having no participation in a scheme to bill insurance for unwanted medical devices. In both cases, all charges were dismissed.
  • Felony Assault Charge Declined: Karen represented a high-profile professional athlete who was arrested for resisting law enforcement officers. In the face of intense public advocacy from the LAPD Police Protective League, who wanted felony charges filed against Karen's client, and national media attention, Karen convinced the LADA to decline charges and refer the case for misdemeanor filing. Ultimately, Karen resolved the case for probation only. (2022)
  • Check Fraud Charges Dismissed: Karen's client was charged with nine counts of check fraud and forgery. Karen subpoenaed hundreds of recorded calls, which demonstrated that her client reasonably believed the checks were legitimate. She did not take no from the first or second DA who reviewed the case, and persisted until a DA listened to the calls Karen provided and agreed that they could not prove fraudulent intent. (2021)
  • Misdemeanors Dismissed and Arrest Records Sealed: Karen routinely secures dismissals in misdemeanors and successfully petitions for the arrest records to be sealed. For example, she secured this result for a client charged with Speed Exhibition (2021) and for a client charged with Soliciting. (2022)
  • Fire Code Violations Dismissed: Property owners can be charged with misdemeanors for fire code violations at their properties, even if they are unaware of the violation. This frequently occurs when commercial tenants operate illegal marijuana grow operations, unbeknownst to the property owner. Karen secured a complete dismissal of charges in two such cases involving a litany of fire code and building & safety code violations. (2021, 2022)
In The News
  • July 19, 2022 - Daily Mail
    Stylist wife of retired NFL QB Cade McNown is slapped with 500 hours of community service for stealing designer purses, clothing and jewelry from Sumner Redstone's girlfriend Read More
  • July 18, 2022 - TMZ
    WIFE OF EX-UCLA STAR CADE MCNOWN NAILED IN THEFT CASE 500 Hrs Community Service!!! Read More