Karen Crawford is a seasoned legal executive with more than twenty-five years of broad experience in commercial contracts, regulatory matters, real estate, corporate governance, employment issues, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation management. Her career is marked by a pragmatic approach to evaluating legal and regulatory risks, clear communication with business leaders, and the development of business-friendly compliance strategies.

Currently, Karen is working part-time as General Counsel for Network Funding, L.P., a residential mortgage company, where she leads legal, compliance and internal audit functions.  In addition, she volunteers with environmental protection groups and serves on the board of Box United, a Chicago area non-profit organization which supports development of confidence and self-esteem of teenage girls through boxing.

Previously, Karen held the positions of Chief Legal Officer or Chief Administrative Officer at Celink, Pacific Union Financial and Stearns Lending, where she led teams of up to 40 in legal, compliance, risk, internal audit, corporate communications and human resources functions. Some of her key achievements include:

• implementing effective compliance and risk management structures, including disaster recovery, vendor/counterparty management, compliance testing, internal audit, fraud prevention, policies and procedures and training programs, as well as corporate governance compliance for multiple affiliated entities;
• negotiating and drafting contracts for products, services and credit facilities, including issuance of bonds under a 144A exemption;
• leading complex commercial transactions, including structuring joint ventures and other business alliances, as well as purchases and sales of assets and companies, and the IPO preparation process in start-up and turn-around scenarios;
• managing regulatory relationships and exams, and compliance with new laws and regulations;
• leading the transition of Celink operations to a remote work environment during the COVID pandemic;
• establishing HR frameworks for pay equity and performance evaluations; and
• management of material litigation, including consumer and employee lawsuits.

Karen’s early career includes significant roles at FannieMae, other mortgage companies and in law firm practice, where she represented clients in commercial real estate and corporate transactions. She has taught Business Law, Real Estate Law and Employment Law at college level, in addition to teaching English and Social Studies in Texas elementary and middle schools.

Prior non-profit experience included corporate governance, strategic planning, volunteer coordination, event planning and direct client contact, with various organizations providing support for the arts and environment, as well as children, elderly and others needing support with life circumstances.

Education:  Karen holds a JD from Baylor University Law School (where she was the Articles Editor for the Baylor Law Review) and a BA in English and History from Stephen F. Austin State University. 

Character: Karen Crawford has demonstrated commitment, resourcefulness, resilience and flexibility to effectively manage teams and resources in diverse business environments, as well as in non-profit organizations.  Transparency and honesty are pillars of her approach.

Knowledge: She possesses over twenty-five years of broad legal expertise in commercial transactions and regulatory matters, as well as business strategy and operations.

Strategic: Karen excels in development of pragmatic legal and operational strategies, management of significant transactions, and identification and management of risks that could impact success of business strategies.

Communication: She effectively communicates complex legal and regulatory concepts to business leaders and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and actionable solutions.  Her communication expertise also includes training and teaching in multiple settings.