Karen Woodward is a trial attorney who focuses her practice on the defense of complex products liability and business litigation matters. Ms. Woodward is a mass torts specialist and has extensive experience coordinating national and statewide litigation against medical device, food, pharmaceutical, and tobacco product manufacturers, as well as defending these entities and other product manufacturers in individual products liability actions involving catastrophic injuries. She is the Chair of Sedgwick’s Life Sciences Practice Group and is active in the firm’s Food Law Task Force.
Ms. Woodward works in collaboration with her clients to serve their business and strategic objectives. It is her professional mission to provide legal services that are value-based. To this end, Ms. Woodward’s case management practices are specifically tailored to the demands of a particular action, in conjunction with her client’s needs, and with an emphasis on forward thinking and efficiency at all times.
Ms. Woodward is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), where she serves on the In-House and Law Firm Management Committee as Chairperson for Webinar programming. She is also active in the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, having served as State Chairperson for California and on the Program Committee. In this capacity, Ms. Woodward worked with other committee members to develop a “Trial Practices” program that has been offered throughout the country. She is also the current Co-Chair of the ABA Mass Torts Committee’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Subcommittee.
As the former Vice-Chairperson of Sedgwick’s Women’s Forum, she is dedicated to the recruitment, retention and advancement of female attorneys. She has facilitated and/or presented a variety of programs aimed at serving this constituency, including career advancement, business development, and networking seminars.
While attending law school, Ms. Woodward was one of three 3L’s inducted into the exclusive Order of the Barristers and was voted Outstanding 3L Advocate by her peers. She also participated on ten state and national mock trial and moot court teams.