Karl W. Kime | Poole & Shaffery, LLP

Attorneys

Firm Partners | Associates | Of Counsel

John H. Shaffery
Charles W. Jenkins
Chris S. Jacobsen
Karl W. Kime

Karl W. Kime is a partner in the law firm of Poole & Shaffery, LLP. His practice focuses on employment discrimination and wrongful termination, general business litigation, tort liability defense, and appeals. Mr. Kime graduated with highest honors from Loma Linda University in 1983. He earned an M.A. in the philosophy of religion at the Claremont Graduate School. He obtained his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1989, where he was a member of the UCLA Law Review.

Mr. Kime practiced with large, international law firms before joining Poole & Shaffery, LLP. His clients have spanned from Fortune 500 companies to sole proprietorships. He has litigated numerous wrongful termination and discrimination matters, including wage and hour claims. Mr. Kime has tried business tort and commercial contract claims. Included among the cases he has litigated are environmental, toxic tort and personal injury actions. In addition to trial work, Mr. Kime has extensive experience in appellate work. Ranging across a broad spectrum of issues, his appellate cases have been resulted in several decisions published in the official California appellate reporters.

Although Mr. Kime litigates with a view toward trial, he has a commitment to resolving issues expeditiously, in manner designed to meet the client’s interests. This frequently involves procedures for resolution short of trial, such as mediation.

Mr. Kime conducts mediations for the Los Angeles Superior Court Mediation Panel, and for the United States District Court (Central, California) as a member of the Attorney Settlement Officer panel.

Mr. Kime is a member of the Litigation Section of the California State Bar, and the Labor and Employment, Litigation, and ADR Sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has lectured for professional seminars. He is also on faculty as a Lecturer in Law & Ethics at La Sierra University, Graduate School of Business & Management, in Riverside, California.Mr. Kime is the Chairman of the Board of a private K-12 school in Glendale, California, and is a member of the Board of Education of its governing body.

Representative matters

Trial attorney in defense of sexual harassment case for NIBCO, Inc., a national manufacturing firm; obtained favorable settlement during jury deliberations after full trial.
Defense of numerous individualized claim hearings in the damage phase of one of the largest gender discrimination class actions in history of Title VII; was on the prevailing trial “team” in many of the hearings.
Trial attorney in a significant commercial lease case on behalf of law firm tenant; the appellate decision in the case was published in California Appellate Reports 4th.
Trial attorney for plaintiff National Advanced Endoscopy Devices, Inc., a manufacturer of surgical instruments and scopes, in a case involving partnership disputes and business interference claims; obtained unanimous verdicts in favor of the client in both the compensatory and punitive damage phases.
Represented independent physician’s association in prominent health-care related litigation against a large Southern California medical center; case featured in California Medicine (August 1997) and in seminar conducted by Los Angeles County Bar Association (February 1998); obtained favorable settlement.
Represented junior high school teacher in a civil action alleging that she had sexual relations with a male student; obtained favorable settlement.

Bar and Court Admissions

State Bar of California
State Bar of Oregon
United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Courts (Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts)