Karen L. Handorf is Senior Counsel at Berger Montague, based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. With over four decades of experience in employee benefits and ERISA law, she represents employees, retirees, plan sponsors, and fiduciaries in litigation involving retirement and health plans. Her practice focuses on cases against third-party administrators (TPAs) of ERISA-covered health plans, particularly concerning fiduciary breaches and claims mismanagement. She also advises employers on administrative service agreements to ensure compliance with ERISA and other employee benefit laws.

Prior to joining Berger Montague, Ms. Handorf was a partner at another prominent plaintiffs’ class action firm, where she co-chaired the Employee Benefits/ERISA practice group. She played a pioneering role in litigation challenging organizations that claimed exemption from ERISA due to religious affiliations.

Ms. Handorf's distinguished public service includes 25 years at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she served as Deputy Associate Solicitor in the Plan Benefits Security Division. In this role, she was instrumental in shaping and litigating the government's position on a wide array of ERISA issues, including contributing to amicus briefs filed by the U.S. Solicitor General in the Supreme Court.

An active voice in policy discussions, Ms. Handorf has testified before Congress and the Department of Labor on ERISA reforms, health care transparency, and fiduciary accountability. She is also a co-author of a white paper addressing employer responsibilities under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.