Karen Sweeney Shea is a highly skilled family law attorney with over 30 years of experience, specializing in complex and high-net-worth divorce litigation, child custody matters, and alternative dispute resolution. A member of McGrath & Kane since 2002, Karen has built a reputation for her thoughtful, strategic approach to family law and her ability to guide clients through even the most challenging legal issues. Karen earned her Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School in 1990, following her undergraduate studies at Merrimack College (1986). She began her legal career at the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, where she gained invaluable courtroom experience before transitioning to private practice. At McGrath & Kane, Karen has developed a deep expertise in complex family law cases, including divorce cases involving substantial financial assets, child custody disputes, modifications, contempt matters, and the negotiation and drafting of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. In addition to her litigation practice, Karen is an experienced mediator and conciliator, successfully resolving private family law matters through alternative dispute resolution methods. She also volunteers her time as a conciliator for various probate and family court conciliation programs, offering her mediation services to help families resolve disputes outside of the courtroom. Karen is also dedicated to advancing the field of family law through education and service. She has authored numerous articles on family law topics and regularly participates as a panelist for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminars and Massachusetts Bar Association Programs. Additionally, Karen serves as an Attorney Representing Children (ARC) and volunteers with several Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs in the Probate and Family Courts of Middlesex and Norfolk counties. She also participated in the Lawyer for the Day program, helping individuals navigate through the court system. Recognized for her excellence in family law, Karen has been named a Super Lawyer by Boston Magazine since 2008 and has been listed among the Top Women of Law since 2014. She is an active member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, and the Greater Boston Family Law Inns of Court.

In thirty years of representing injured people, I do my best to treat each person’s case as the most important one I’ve ever handled. My goal is to treat each client as I would expect to be treated. I became a lawyer to help make a positive change in people’s lives. As a boy, my parents stressed the importance of living life by basic, universal truths. To name a few —Treat others as you want to be treated. When you make a mistake, accept responsibility. Actions speak louder than words. When you take on a job, do it right. It’s always better to be safe than to be sorry. I try to live by those “universal truths” and hope that others will try to do the same. I believe most people want to do the right thing. Unfortunately, many people and corporations have either neglected, or turned a blind eye to, people’s fundamental right to be safe and free from harm, just to avoid responsibility. The end result of the refusal to accept corporate or personal accountability is that I meet people every day who suffer from physical and emotional injuries that could have and should have been prevented. For the past 30 years, I’ve fought to help people recover money to make up for harm and losses from those that have caused their life-changing injuries. “Money” for Civil Justice is a poor substitute for the preventable horrors that I’ve seen over the years, but it is all our law will allow.

Admitted to Michigan Bar. Admitted to practice, Eastern District of Michigan; Western District of Michigan; Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit; United States Supreme Court. Education: New York University (B.S., cum laude; M.A.); Wayne State University (J.D., cum laude). Note and Comment Editor of Law Review and recipient of numerous awards as law student. Previous Employment. Legal Researcher, State Appellate Defender Organization. Adjunct Professor of Legal Research, University of Detroit Law School. Law Clerk to Michigan Supreme Court Justice G. Mennen Williams. Staff Attorney, Ford Motor Company. Author: Legal publications include Wayne Law Review, Michigan State Bar Journal, The Litigation Section Newsletter, The General Practitioner, Laches, MAJ Newsletter, OTLA Newsletter, BNA Employee Relations Weekly, MELA Newsletter. Speaking engagements include appearances before National Council of Jewish Women, Oakland County Bar Association, Wayne State University, Michigan Association for Justice, Federal Bar Association, Women Lawyers Association, Minority Business Enterprises Association, General Practice Section, State Bar of Michigan, American Association for Justice, Women Lawyers Association, Wayne County Mental Health Board, Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Sixth Circuit Employment and Labor Law Conference, People’s Law School, Oakland County Bar Association, National Association Consumer Advocates.