Before opening Ware Law Office, Karen worked an Associate for a Fortune 100 financial services firm. There, she researched tax issues arising from investment transactions.

She was also an Associate in the National Tax Department of a “Big Four” accounting firm, where she researched tax issues affecting Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Compensation, and Real Estate.

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.

She speaks frequently on a variety of consumer credit and debt topics. Presentation topics include “Representing Yourself in Maryland Small Claims Court” and “Resolving Garnishments in Maryland.”

She is committed to pro bono service and is active in the Maryland Foreclosure Prevention Project and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (District of Maryland) Debtor Assistance Project.

She is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), the Maryland Consumer Roundtable, The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, the American Bar Association, the Maryland Bar Association, the Montgomery County Bar Association, and the District of Columbia Bar Association.

She is admitted to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Mario Castellanos and their two cats, Godi and Jemaine.