$ 400-400 per hour
About Karen
Biography
With degrees from Claremont McKenna College and Columbia Law School, Karen B. Dawson brings a wealth of experience and compassion to her role as principal attorney at Dawson Estate Law, PC. Beginning her career as an immigration lawyer in San Francisco, Karen transitioned to estate planning after moving to Oregon and founding her own practice in 2007. She thrives on the intellectual challenges of estate law but finds the greatest reward in building relationships with her clients and learning from their diverse perspectives on life, family, and legacy. Karen is supported by a dynamic team of women at her firm, fostering an environment marked by empathy and legal ingenuity and acuity. Her professional affiliations include the Oregon State Bar, State Bar of California, Phi Beta Kappa, and Wealth Counsel, LLC. When not advising clients, Karen enjoys family time, travel, camping, fishing, reading, and hands-on repairs, drawing balance and fulfillment from both her personal and professional life.
Compassionate, local Trust and Estate Attorney
You and your loved ones deserve the protection of a well designed estate plan. Call for a consult.
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
50%
Trusts
50%
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
Licenses
Licensed in Oregon for 23 years
State: Oregon
Acquired: 2003
No misconduct found
Licensed in California for 31 years
State: California
Acquired: 1994
No misconduct found
Location
Gallery
Karen B. Dawson's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
35 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 6 - 10 of 35 reviews
Posted by Charee | September 25, 2019 | Hired Attorney
Thanks
Karen Dawson is very knowledgeable. She made me feel at ease in talking to her. She is a very good listener. Karen was not quick in giving advices unless we asked her. She’s honest, humble, sincere and very thorough.
Posted by Byron and Darcey | August 16, 2019 | Hired Attorney
Byron and Darcey
Karen was fabulous to work with. She explained things thoroughly. Appreciated that she was up front in her pricing, which was very reasonable for the services we received. She had some great ideas for us. We felt that she cared about us and the services she provides.
Posted by Kathie & David | August 16, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Trusts
real estate trust
Karen was really helpful explaining the differences for putting our home in a trust. Who knew it could be so involved! She took her time to make sure we understood every detail and now we are good to go!
Posted by Rod | June 20, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning
Satisfied Customer
My wife and I sought out Attorney Karen Dawson to get some help with estate planning to ensure our desires would be carried out in the event of an unfortunate catastrophic event. We could not be more satisfied with the help we received from Karen. She was highly knowledgeable in all aspects of trusts...
Posted by Louise | April 30, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning
Knowledgable, compassionate, energetic!
I went to Karen for estate planning to create a will and trust. I was under a deadline of a surgery and wanted to make sure everything was up to date just in case. Karen was terrific about working on a tight deadline, gave me great advice about how to assign beneficiaries, graciously dealt with chang...
Karen B. Dawson's Lawyer Endorsements
"Karen is compassionate and knowledgeable in the area of estate planning. She makes her clients feel comfortable, and she explains the process exceedingly well. Karen is well respected, and I highly recommend her to anyone with estate planning needs."
"Early on in Karen's estate planning career I had the delightful opportunity to serve as one of her professional mentors. I was impressed by her quick grasp of the legal technical aspects of estate planning as well as her adoption of a values-based approach to understanding her clients goals and concerns. Karen is now flying beautifully on her own and is a caring, compassionate estate planning attorney who cares deeply for her clients' well-being. She has a world-class education from some of the country's top universities. She is a brilliant Phi Beta Kappa and a life-long learner who constantly strives to stay at the top of her field. Despite her top-drawer education and many awards, Karen remains wonderfully modest and is always kind and considerate. I endorse Karen wholeheartedly; she's one of the best attorneys I know and I'm proud to have her as a colleague."
"Karen is one of the sharpest attorneys I know, and is constantly working to grow her knowledge and expertise. Add to that her warm and caring approach to dealing with people and you've got a great combination for an estate planning attorney."
Colleen Moore
Estate planning lawyer
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Jennifer Potter
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Sara Yen
Estate planning lawyer
Experience
Honors
1989
Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa
Work Experience
2007 - Present
Estate Planning Attorney, Dawson Estate Law PC
2002 - Present
Staff, Dawson Law Group P.C.
1995 - 1996
Attorney, Fallon, Bixby & Cheng
1994 - 1995
Attorney, Crosland, Strand & Freeman
Associations
2007 - Present
Wealth Counsel LLCMember
2007 - Present
Oregon State Bar - Estate Planning SectionMember
2003 - Present
Oregon State BarActive member
2010 - 2012
National Charity League - Blue Heron ChapterBoard member
1994 - 2026
State Bar of CaliforniaMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Administration of the J Living Trust
Recovered close to full payment on note plus legal fees
Education
1994
Columbia University School of Law
J.D.
1989
Claremont McKenna College
B.A. cum laude
N/A
University of California - Berkeley
Speaking Engagements
2016
Riverside Forum
Trust v. Wills - Making an Educated Choice
2015
Riverside Forum
Preparing your family with Estate Planning
2015
Riverside Forum
Preparing your family with Estate Planning
2011
Portland Community College - Personal Financial Planning Class
Basics of Estate Planning
2009
Evergreen Investment Club
12 Mistakes to Avoid in Estate Planning
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers