Akin Gump announced that Karen E. Christian, former General Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, has joined Akin Gump as a partner in its congressional investigations practice in Washington, D.C. As the top lawyer for the Committee, Ms. Christian ran and oversaw some of the highest-profile, most-complex congressional investigations of the last decade. She also previously served as chief counsel to its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
At Akin Gump, Ms. Christian will bring her background and experience to bear to counsel clients who may find themselves the subject of a congressional probe or who are contending with potential regulatory, legislative or litigation challenges that often run in parallel to such congressional investigations.
As General Counsel of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Ms. Christian oversaw and managed all facets of the Committee’s legislative process. She also advised the Committee Chairman and Staff Director on all legal matters, including ethics, procedure and legislative proposals, as well as on matters relating to Committee investigations.
About Karen E. Christian
As Chief Counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Karen oversaw a series of consequential committee investigations, including, among others, the oversight of General Motors’ ignition switch safety failures in 2014, the HealthCare.gov launch in 2013, the fungal meningitis outbreak due in 2012, and the loan guarantee awarded to Solyndra by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Ms. Christian previously worked as counsel to the House Committee on House Administration, advising on campaign finance and election reform matters. Before that, she worked in private practice, as a federal law clerk, and as a legislative and staff assistant to then-Rep. Robert Ney (R-OH).