Karen has over 30 years of legal experience as a judicial law clerk, attorney, and mentor/speaker to other lawyers. Karen Brady has been designated an Accredited Estate Planner National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.
Karen is a Denver estate planning attorney and practices in the areas of , business planning, business succession planning, and business growth counseling as the principal attorney of Colorado Estate Planning Law Center in Arvada, Colorado. Karen’s focus on the client’s individual goals, hopes, and concerns allows her to assist clients in creating a unique and substantial legacy.
Karen is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in philosophy and government. Karen is also a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. There her favorite class was the clinical program because she was helping real people with real problems. Upon graduation from law school, Karen’s excellent scholarship was recognized by membership in the Order of the Coif, an honorary scholastic society for the legal profession. Since law school, Karen has continued her legal education and is now a certified Wealth Strategies Planner as recognized by the Esperti Peterson Wealth Strategies Institute. Karen is also a Master Advisor certified by the Sunbridge Network.
Karen has written several publications for Bradford Publishing, including Estate Planning and Taxation in Colorado, and is a contributor to the publications of the Society of Certified Senior Advisors. She is also a frequent guest lecturer for various organizations, including the Mi Casa Resource Center for Women, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the Financial Planning Association of Colorado, the Colorado Society of Enrolled Agents, and others.
Karen is a member of, and frequent teacher for, the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. She is a former board member of the Women’s Estate Planning Council and a current board member of the Colorado Estate Planning Education Council. She is also a member of the business section and trusts and estate sections of both the American Bar Association and the Colorado Bar Association. Karen is also a member of Wealthcounsel, a national organization of estate and business planning attorneys.
Recent Courses Taught by Karen Include:
- Tax Issues in the Purchase and Sale of a Business
- Traps and Opportunities in Estate Planning
- Splitting the Family Business
- Business Entities – Corporations, LLCs, and others
- Deferred Compensation – Retirement Plans, Phantom Stock Plans, Stock Options, Employee Purchase Plans, and more
- Asset Protection Planning – Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships
- The Role of Insurance, Corporations and Limited Liability Companies
- Karen and her husband Derek live in Arvada with their two children, Aidan and Sinead.
Published Works
- Your Legacy: Meaningful Estate Planning, Karen Brady, 2008
- Colorado Estate Planning and Taxation, Bradford Legal Publishing, 2007
- On Being an Executor: The Ins and Outs Revealed, CSA Journal 32, 2006
- When It is Really Not About the Money: Some Personal Issues in Estate Planning, CSA Journal 25, 2004
- Probate with a Will, Colorado Bradford Legal Publishing, 2002
Classes/Seminars
- Splitting the Family Business, National Network Estate Planning Attorneys, 2008 to 2008
- Tips and Trends in Business and Estates, CPA Club, 2009 to 2009
- Issues in Estate Planning, National Association Insurance and Financial Advisors, 2008 to 2008
- Legacy Planning, Longmont Senior Center, 2005 to 2005
- Nuts and Bolts of Trusts, CFP Board of Standards, 2006 to 2006
- Caregiver’s Seminar, Senior’s Resource Center, 2007 to 2008
- Estate Planning, LMC Community Foundation, 2004 to 2004
- Estate Planning, National Association of Family Wealth Counselors, 2003 to 2003
- Integrating Retirement Plans, Financial Planning Association – Colorado Chapter, 2001 to 2001
- Integrating Retirement Plans, Financial Planning Association – Colorado Chapter, 2004 to 2004
- Honors and Awards
Past Employment Positions
- University of Denver Law School, Writing Instructor, 1992 to 1994
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, Law Clerk, 1989 to 1991
Pro Bono Activities
- MI CASA Resources Center, Denver, CO, 2005
- Pomona Music Boosters, Arvada, CO, 2007
Languages
- Business Coaching
