Karen L. Kahn

Karen L. Kahn is an employment lawyer and Shareholder at Modrall Sperling, where she concentrates on ERISA and employee benefits law. For more than 40 years, she has advised employers, health insurance agencies, physician groups, and other organizations on retirement, health, and welfare plans. Her work covers 401(k) and 403(b) plans, ESOPs, pensions, cash balance plans, cafeteria plans, HSAs, HRAs, severance plans, and non-qualified deferred compensation. Karen currently provides legal counsel to more than 200 employee benefit plans nationwide across many different industries.

Karen earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from Loyola Law School in 1982, where she served on the Loyola Law Review and received several academic honors. She earned her M.S. in Gerontology from the University of Southern California in 1977 and her B.A. in Psychology from Pitzer College in 1975. After law school, she clerked for Judge Harry Pregerson on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, gaining valuable experience before building her employee benefits practice in California and New Mexico.

Karen advises clients on Affordable Care Act requirements, COBRA, HIPAA compliance, domestic partner benefits, healthcare regulatory issues, and benefits questions arising in mergers and acquisitions. She also represents employers correcting retirement plan compliance problems through IRS and Department of Labor voluntary correction programs. Her work includes plan drafting, amendments, audits, fiduciary issues, ESOP transactions, and strategies for qualified and welfare benefit plans. She draws on prior experience as in-house counsel and as a benefits director for a large healthcare organization.

Karen L. Kahn has received recognition from Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America for her employee benefits work. Best Lawyers named her Albuquerque Employee Benefits Lawyer of the Year in 2017, 2021, and 2025. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and serves as Chair of Modrall Sperling’s Benefits/Investments Committee. Karen has also held leadership roles with Jewish Family Services and Congregation Albert and presents on retirement plans, welfare benefits, payroll practices, the Affordable Care Act, and HIPAA compliance.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder, Modrall Sperling Law Firm
• Member, Alabama State Bar
• Member, State Bar of Arizona
• Member, The State Bar of California
• Member, Colorado Bar Association
• Member, State Bar of Michigan
• Member, State Bar of New Mexico
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, State Bar of Texas
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Past President, Jewish Family Services
• Past President, Congregation Albert

Licensed State

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Michigan
• New Mexico
• New York
• Texas

Education

• Loyola Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD) Summa Cum Laude
• University of Southern California
  Master of Science (MS) in Gerontology
• Pitzer College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology

Awards & Badges