Karen is passionate about using her legal acumen to positively contribute to Otsuka’s business, mission and employee culture. Her leadership style is firmly rooted in Otsuka’s purpose to defy limitation, so that others can too. Driven by the belief that people perform best when they are challenged, she actively seeks ways to continuously encourage those around her to reach their full potential and fulfillment.
As Vice President & General Counsel, Karen focuses on legal issues related to clinical development, product commercialization, and corporate governance. Karen loves the diversity of the opportunities she has had in her Otsuka career, which has afforded her the ability to work on the legal issues for a compound from Phase I studies through its full lifecycle. In addition, Karen supports the Boards of Directors of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI).
Karen’s ability to evolve and learn has served her well throughout her career. Prior to joining Otsuka in 2003, Karen was an Associate with Epstein, Becker & Green in the Washington, D.C. office in the national health law practice group. From 1996 through 2003, she represented national healthcare companies in the areas of durable medical equipment, home healthcare, and pharmaceuticals in criminal and civil investigations. Before earning her J.D. from the University of Maryland Carey Law School in Baltimore, Karen worked in public relations and public policy in Albany. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Outside of Otsuka, Karen is on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Aging Research and the Alumni Board of the University of Maryland Carey Law School.
At Otsuka, I enjoy finding opportunities for others to learn and grow. Otsuka is not a place where you stand still. You need to be agile and continue to change. We are continuously evolving and innovating and that is a critical part of our culture.