Karen Monroe is an international business lawyer whose focus is in the areas of international securities, contracts, corporate and related intellectual property law with an emphasis on cross-border transactions between Switzerland, Europe, and the United States. Originally from New York City and admitted to the New York bar, she trained in New York City as an international corporate lawyer and became partner in a large NYC firm. Ms. Monroe has been based in Geneva for the last 15 years and heads Wilk Auslander’s European office and is part of its European Practice Group and Transborder Technology Transactions Team. She serves as outside general counsel and as a member of the board of directors of Swiss and U.S. for profit and not-for-profit companies. She is the President of the Foreign Lawyers Section of the Geneva Bar Association, and serves as legal counsel to Democrats Abroad-Switzerland.

For more than 25 years, international companies have sought Ms. Monroe’s help to simplify complex securities and contractual issues and find creative and cost-effective solutions. Practicing “preventive lawyering,” Ms. Monroe helps companies identify and resolve issues before they become a problem. She helps companies with public and private transactions, acquiring and selling businesses, and negotiating and preparing complex agreements. She represents start-ups to multinationals providing a broad spectrum of expertise in the area of business law for clients in a variety of industries including medtech, robotics, biotech, life sciences, food and beverages, software, telecommunications, luxury goods, manufacturing, and entertainment. Her clients recognize her for her project management skills and getting deals done.

Ms. Monroe has been on the cutting edge of the evolution of international business law in the areas of securities and contract law, the impact of foreign laws on doing business internationally, multijurisdictional legal practice, and the use of technology, including social media by lawyers, and has first-hand experience with operating a business internationally. She has assisted clients with transactions and contracts in many jurisdictions over the last 25 years including the U.S., Switzerland, China, Russia, Japan, Moldova, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America.

Ms. Monroe is a dual national American and Swiss and bilingual in English and French, with a working knowledge of German.