Karen Barris Bragman passed away on May 31 after a five-month battle with cancer. An extraordinarily talented lawyer, a tireless leader in the firm and the Atlanta community, and a treasured colleague, Karen's passing leaves a hole in the Arnall Golden Gregory family, but we celebrate the gifts of her life and friendship.

From the beginning, Karen was an overachiever, graduating from high school at age 16 and the University of Michigan at 19.  Karen wanted to follow her father, a prominent Detroit attorney, into the law, but she was too young for law school, so instead earned a Master's degree in Spanish literature. She then went on to law school, graduating second in her class.

After stints at Jenner & Block in Chicago and Bondurant in Atlanta, Karen joined AGG in the mid-1980s. She quickly developed a reputation as a tough, effective litigator. She practiced primarily in the areas of insurance and professional liability law, but her strong legal acumen allowed her to move seamlessly into the lead role in complex business litigation as well. She was tenacious, diving into her cases and fighting forcefully for her clients. Among many other honors, Karen was named the Insurance Lawyer of the Year for metro-Atlanta by Best Lawyers in 2018.

“Karen was tiny, but she was an absolute force. In litigation, she dug in and was always thinking 20 steps ahead,” says Jennifer Shelfer, a litigation partner at AGG who regularly worked with Karen. “She could see how certain strategies we were considering might backfire down the road, and could strategize the most efficient way to win for her clients. She was aggressive, but taught me restraint.”

At AGG, Karen was a trailblazer. She was the first woman to be elected to the executive committee, serving for nine years. She was also the first woman to be appointed a practice group leader, serving as chair of the firm's litigation department.  

Karen was most known within AGG for her role as the firm's general counsel. She originated the position at the firm, and served in that capacity for 25 years. As AGG's GC, Karen was a fierce protector of the firm. “When I first stepped into the role as Karen's deputy general counsel, it quickly became apparent to me that Karen's foremost concern was doing what was right for AGG and its clients. As I now know, this doesn't always make you the most popular person in the lunchroom, because it sometimes means telling your partners and friends 'no,' but she was more than willing to take the heat for those decisions. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor,” remarks AGG's current general counsel, Ashley Kelly. 

Indeed, many of the younger attorneys in the firm, particularly the women attorneys, count Karen as one of their mentors. “She was brilliant and so quick but spent thoughtful time making important decisions. She took other perspectives into account before making a final judgment. When Karen started, there weren't a lot of female leaders, yet she didn't pretend to be one of the guys. She was herself and confident in that,” says real estate partner Brooke Dickerson.

Kelly adds: “Karen was one of the first women within AGG to show that it was possible to practice law and to raise a family, and to do both well. Extraordinarily well, in Karen's case.”

And it was her family that was by far the accomplishment of which Karen was most proud. She was devoted to Alan, her husband of more than 40 years, and her sons Adam and David, and was thrilled to welcome David's wife, Jaclyn, to the family in 2018. She also enjoyed spending time with her large friend group. “Karen was our good friend even before she was our partner”, says Steve Pepper, remarking on memories of the relationship with Karen that he and his wife shared with fellow law partner Scott Fisher and his wife. “I remember laughing with her on trips to Spain and Portugal, listening to her fluent Spanish and enjoying a friendship that extended far beyond the office.”

Karen had many passions, especially cheering on the Michigan football team and the Atlanta Braves and watching “Jeopardy.” She enjoyed spending time at her house at Lake Oconee, and was an active member of Temple Sinai. Later in life she became an avid bridge player, which brought her tremendous joy. Karen approached bridge with her typical intensity and was well on her way to becoming a life master even though she had only been playing for a few years.

Above all else, Karen was a fighter, as evidenced most recently by this year's cancer battle. But it was not the first time, as she successfully battled breast cancer in the late 1990s. She then went on to be a leader in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure/Greater Atlanta Affiliate for many years, including serving as its president. Karen displayed this fighting spirit right up until the end of her life. One client expressed his surprise at her passing, noting that Karen had been responding to his emails only days before.

Karen Bragman will be missed by many people, but AGG and those of us that knew her well are very fortunate to have had her in our lives. “Karen was one of a kind. We were privileged to have her as partner and blessed to have her as a friend,” says Jonathan Eady, AGG's Managing Partner.  ”We will all miss her dearly.”

The Bragman family has asked that donations be made in Karen's memory to The Susan G. Komen Foundation of Greater Atlanta www.komenatlanta.org.