Overview

Hariklia (Carrie) Karis is a Kirkland trial lawyer who has extensive lead trial experience in jury and bench trials and arbitration involving personal injury in a broad range of high profile personal injury, product liability and other commercial cases throughout the country. Hariklia was recently recognized by various legal publications as a first class trial lawyer in mass tort and commercial litigation. She was awarded Law360 MVP for Trials in 2022. The American Lawyer named Hariklia “Litigator of the Week” for achieving the first defense win in a bellwether trial involving 3M’s dual-ended combat arms in the largest MDL in U.S. history. She was also recognized by the American Lawyer’s List of Midwest Trailblazers and named a nationwide finalist for The National Law Journal’s Winning Litigator for 2022. Hariklia’s successful defense of General Motors Corporation was chosen as one of the top defense wins by The National Law Journal. She has also been recognized as a Lead Female Trial Lawyer for her work in large exposure civil litigation. In 2018, she was named to Crain’s list of Most Notable Women Lawyers. She has served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Law, where she taught “Trial Advocacy.”

In her 27 year career at Kirkland, Hariklia has managed and tried massive disaster litigation cases for clients, in which substantial reputational and financial exposure is at risk. She served as co-lead trial counsel for BP in the litigation arising from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in several regulatory agency and government investigations that resulted in numerous nationally televised and highly publicized trials. She also serves as lead trial counsel in the nationwide multi-district litigation involving opioids as well as other pharmaceutical products. She has served as trial counsel for General Motors in state and federal cases arising out of the company’s voluntary recalls related to ignition switches and other safety issues.

Principal Practice Areas

Trial and appellate experience in commercial litigation, product liability, insurance coverage and construction law disputes.

Jury trial, bench trial and arbitration experience in state and federal courts in:

Illinois Minnesota
Michigan Louisiana
California Pennsylvania
New York

Missouri

Florida New Jersey
Other jurisdictions

More

Thought Leadership

Press Mentions

Quoted in “A Key to Training Up New Trial Lawyers: Pass On the Opportunities When You Can,” The Am Law Litigation Daily, March 24, 2022

Recognition

Recognized in Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial, 2023–2024

Recognized by Financier Worldwide for Product Liability – Distinguished Advisors, 2023

Recognized by Best Lawyers® for Commercial Litigation, 2024

Named “Trial Litigator of the Year” by The National Law Journal, 2022

Recognized by Law360 as a Trial Lawyer MVP, 2022

Recognized in The American Lawyer’s “Midwest Trailblazers” list, 2022 

Named “Litigator of the Week” by The Am Law Litigation Daily, 2021

Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for:

  • Environment: Litigation, 2024
  • Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Automotive/Transport, 2024
  • Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Consumer Products (including Tobacco), 2022–2024
  • Construction Litigation (including Construction Litigation), 2020–2021
  • General Commercial Disputes, 2017–2019

Memberships & Affiliations

Northwestern College of Law Adjunct Professor

Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy

Hellenic Bar Association: President

American College of Greece, Board of Directors

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 1995Illinois

Education

  • DePaul University College of LawJ.D.with High Honors and Distinction1995

    Dean’s List

    Order of the Coif

    Notes and Comments Editor, DePaul Law Review

  • Loyola University ChicagoB.A.magna cum laude1990