Legal Counsel
Phone: (604) 822-4306
E-mail: karen.choi@ubc.ca
Karen is a graduate of UBC’s Sauder School of Business and UBC’s Faculty of Law at Allard Hall. She articled and practised in Vancouver with the law firm of Clark Wilson LLP prior to moving to New York City in 2000 to join the international law firm, Torys LLP. From New York, Karen moved to San Francisco where she worked at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Karen returned to Vancouver in 2004 and practised as Legal Counsel at UBC before re-entering private practice in 2012.
At UBC, Karen developed her skills as a negotiator, facilitator and consensus-builder. She was responsible for negotiating complex transactions, leading Board policy development and reviews, and drafting contracts, institutional policies and procedures. Karen has a clear understanding of the legislative framework, operational constraints and public accountability obligations facing UBC and other post-secondary institutions.
During her six years in private practice, Karen practiced almost exclusively in the post-secondary institution sector. She was fortunate to work closely with several BC universities and colleges to gain further insight into how post-secondary institutions operate within very similar legislative regimes. Karen’s goal is to provide her client groups with the legal context they require to make strategic decisions that align with UBC’s academic and operational objectives.
Karen is a registered member of the Law Society of British Columbia (1999) and the New York State Bar (2002).