Overview
A former federal prosecutor and highly effective courtroom advocate, Karima Maloney represents clients in commercial litigation, internal investigations, and white-collar criminal investigations and prosecutions. With extensive state and federal trial experience, Karima excels in presenting complex facts to a jury and is sought after by clients facing high-stakes litigation.
Karima represents clients in various sectors, including energy, financial services, healthcare, and technology, among others. Recently, she represented a key defendant in the Astroworld Music Festival Multi-District Litigation in Texas state court and tried a case on behalf of a national Affordable Care Act healthcare insurer in Texas state court. Additionally, she represented an energy company in litigation stemming from Winter Storm Uri, and a liquified natural gas company in significant litigation pending in Texas state courts. Karima has also assisted clients in developing responses to new enforcement priorities issued in Presidential Executive Orders. This has included conducting compliance reviews and risk assessments of DEI programs and practices.
Prior to her transition to private practice, Karima served in the highly selective US Attorney General's Honors program for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and rose to the position of Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section. During her 12 years with the DOJ, she handled high-profile official misconduct, human trafficking, and hate crime prosecutions across the United States.
- Texas
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- US District Court, Southern District of Texas
- US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- Hon. Vanessa D. Gilmore, US District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2001-2003
- J.D., Columbia University School of Law, 2001, Columbia Law Review (Senior Editor), Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- B.S.B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 1997
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
Commercial Litigation
- Won complete dismissal of qui tam lawsuit filed against a financial institution accused of conspiracy involving False Claims Act (FCA), Stark Law, and Anti-Kick Back Statute violations based on alleged incentives for referrals to a hospital.
- Represented corporate officer of an oil field services company in eight-week jury trial involving breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, conspiracy, and misappropriation of trade secrets case.
- Secured a favorable settlement for a private equity company sued for the alleged torts of a portfolio company.
- Represented a health insurance company in jury trial involving allegations of underpayments to health care providers. Secured favorable judgment for the client.
- Represented a liquified natural gas corporation in multimillion-dollar breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit, resulting in a favorable settlement for the client on the eve of trial.
- Provided counsel to a multibillion-dollar breast implant settlement facility in a variety of legal matters in federal district and appellate courts related to distributions to classes of claimants.
- Represented a fertilizer company in fraud and trade secrets misappropriation lawsuit against a competitor and chemical manufacturer.
- Represented a pharmaceutical corporation in a Texas opioid multidistrict ligation, defending against claims brought by approximately 50 counties against manufacturers and distributors of opioid medications.
- Successfully defended an energy company executive in a civil suit alleging sexual misconduct. Secured favorable disposition for the client.
White-Collar Criminal Defense and Government Investigations
- Represented a well-known mega-church Pastor prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana for wire fraud. Obtained significantly lower sentence for the client.
- Successfully persuaded the DOJ's Civil Division not to intervene in a qui tam FCA action where the DOJ had previously demanded a multimillion-dollar settlement from the client.
- Represented a bank security officer in a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network investigation regarding compliance with Bank Secrecy Act.
- Appointed as Special Prosecutor for a County Attorney’s Office’s prosecution of a police shooting incident.
- Represented the chief operations officer of a health care consulting business in DOJ investigations of health care fraud and anti-kickback violations.
- Represented a former corporate officer of an engineering and construction company in Securities and Exchange Commission depositions related to alleged financial reporting irregularities and other alleged violations of federal securities laws.
- Representation as pool counsel to employees of a chemical plant under investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigations Division, Chemical Safety Board, and the US Attorney’s Office for a chemical release incident.
- Represented a physician in a health care fraud criminal prosecution brought by the DOJ.
Speaking Engagements
- Government Investigations, General Counsel (GC) Bootcamp, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Virtual CLE Program, November 13, 2024
News & Publications
Client Alerts
Trump Administration Sends DEI Executive Order Compliance Letters to European Companies
April 3, 2025
By: Sandra Hanna, Patrick F. Linehan, Karima Maloney, Lillian Stevens
Client Alerts
Administration Dismantles Department of Education
March 25, 2025
By: Dwight J. Draughon, Jr., Patrick F. Linehan, Karima Maloney, Ryan P. Poscablo, Alex Wolf, Brittney Denley
Client Alerts
March 18, 2025
By: Dwight J. Draughon, Jr., Michelle Kallen, Patrick F. Linehan, Karima Maloney, Ryan P. Poscablo, Alex Wolf, Brittney Denley, Lillian Stevens, Mahogane Reed
Client Alerts
An Overview of OCR's February 14, 2025 "Dear Colleague" Letter and its Implications
February 21, 2025
By: Brittney Denley, Dwight J. Draughon, Jr., Tyler Evans, Patrick F. Linehan, Karima Maloney, Ryan P. Poscablo, Alex Wolf
Client Alerts
January 24, 2025
By: Karima Maloney, Patrick F. Linehan, Lee Berger, Paul R. Hurst, Tyler Evans, Michelle Kallen, Joaquin Diaz
Press Releases
Steptoe Lawyers Selected for Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2024 Programs
January 22, 2024
Events
Webinars
DEI Doomsday? President Trump's DEI Executive Order
February 7, 2025
Speakers: Lee Berger, Tyler Evans, Michelle Kallen, Patrick F. Linehan, Karima Maloney
Seminars & Events
Disputes, Investigations & Regulatory Enforcement Seminar
April 17, 2024 - April 18, 2024
Speakers: Andrew C. Adams, Shaun Boedicker, Karen Bruni, Claudia Wilson Frost, Samantha Jarvis, N. Hunter Johnston, John Kinchen, Karima Maloney, Daniel A. Mullen, Crystal Robles, Craig Smyser, Jacquelyn Rex Tobin, Larry Veselka, Eugene Zilberman, Jarod Stewart
Noteworthy
- Lawdragon, "500 Leading Litigators in America," Commercial Litigation, White Collar, Investigations (2025)
- Super Lawyers, Texas, Texas Top Women (2023)
- Super Lawyers, Texas, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Civil Litigation: Defense and Plaintiff (2019-2024)
- Attorney General's John Marshall Award for Outstanding Trial of Litigation (2005)
- Women in Federal Law Enforcement, Top Prosecutor Award (2012)
Professional Affiliations
- Women's White Collar Defense Association
- Federal Bar Association
- National Bar Association
- Diversity Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity