In 2014, Karen rejoined Smith Sovik as a partner after working as a principal law clerk for sixteen years for the Hon. Norman A. Mordue, United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York.
While working for Judge Mordue, Karen researched and wrote hundreds of decisions and assisted in numerous criminal and civil jury trials on issues including employment discrimination, civil rights, federal agency regulatory matters, patent and copyright disputes, and all other types of civil litigation falling under the court’s diversity jurisdiction.
Karen now focuses her work on insurance coverage issues, complex federal and state litigation and appellate advocacy in all areas of civil litigation including Labor Law and employment discrimination matters, civil rights actions, breach of contract, professional malpractice, premises liability, products liability, toxic tort and motor vehicle accidents.
Recently, Karen has been successful in obtaining summary judgment on a number of complex, multi-party matters in State and Federal court for an engineering firm, a trucking company, a school district and a state agency.
Karen has been recognized as a top attorney for Civil Litigation Defense in the Upstate New York Super Lawyers List.
In this interview, Karen discusses how Smith Sovik’s written advocacy advances its broader reputation as an aggressive, winning civil litigation firm across the State:
Practice Areas
Education
- Albany Law School, Union University, J.D., 1992
- Boston University, B.A., English, 1989
Admissions
- Admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of New York and all U.S. District Courts of New York
Memberships
- Onondaga County Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
Featured Articles
- Smith Sovik Celebrates its 2026 Super Lawyers! — September 8, 2026
- Smith Sovik Celebrates its 2025 Super Lawyers! — September 30, 2025
- Smith Sovik Celebrates its Super Lawyers! — August 22, 2024
- Sixteen Smith Sovik Lawyers Are 2023 Super Lawyers; Eight Chosen as Rising Stars — August 23, 2023
- Sixteen Smith Sovik Lawyers Chosen as Super Lawyers; Six Chosen as Rising Stars — August 23, 2022
- 25 Smith Sovik Attorneys named 2021 Super Lawyers — September 9, 2021
- Hulslander and Felter Win Early Summary Judgment in Leg Off Case — March 30, 2021
- SSKS Holds Annual Skills/Educational Summit — January 27, 2021
- Felter and Raus With a Big Coverage Win — November 2, 2019
- Felter and O’Malley Win Summary Judgment — October 23, 2019
- Kevin Hulslander and Karen Felter Obtain Affirmance of Breach of Contract Judgment at Second Circuit Court of Appeals Totaling Over $3.5 Million — May 9, 2017
- Steven Ward Williams and Karen Guyder Felter Successfully Defend School District and Secure Summary Judgment in Federal Court — February 4, 2017
- Karen Felter Successfully Represents PMA in Breach of Contract Action and Secures Substantial Judgement Against Defendant — April 5, 2016