About Karen E. Sprole: I am an attorney in Denver, Colorado, and after practicing law for more than 25 years at law firms and at both large and small companies, decided to start my own firm to conduct workplace and Title IX investigations, which draws on my many years of employment law and HR experience. I am a certified Title IX investigator and have participated in numerous campus training programs, including trauma-informed interviewing strategies.

I graduated from Dartmouth College and then The University of Texas School of Law. For 14 years I practiced commercial litigation and employment litigation at prestigious law firms in Dallas and also at American Airlines before moving to Denver in 2008. I then spent four years as General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for a small company that had been my client in Dallas. That company grew and succeeded and was sold to a $4 Billion company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. I joined that company’s legal department handling a wide variety of operational issues, including contract drafting and negotiation, while also assisting the HR department with issues ranging from misbehaving doctors to employee theft.

In 2014, I founded Idlewild Legal Solutions and enjoy working with companies of all sizes to neutrally investigate any workplace issue, from alleged sexual harassment, to difficult bosses and co-workers, to alleged discrimination. I have also handled all types of campus investigations, including sexual assault, faculty/student sexual relationships, and co-workers not getting along.

In my spare time, I like to hang out with my husband, 16-year-old son, and pandemic puppy Sloane in the mountains or wherever our travels take us. I also enjoy riding my road, gravel, and mountain bikes, spin classes, reading, and playing the piano.

Other Information about Karen and her experience

General Counsel Experience

I have a lot of experience advising businesses of all sizes and specialties and served as a General Counsel for a healthcare company. I have drafted and negotiated hundreds of contracts, developed strategies for dealing with difficult customers, and resolved dozens of business disputes. I care about my clients and it shows. More than one client has actually hired me as an employee. As a seasoned business litigator and advisor, I can provide your company with well-reasoned advice, contracts, and proactive solutions to anticipated situations.

As a small business owner I understand the need to conserve on costs – especially when it comes to legal fees. My rates are reasonable and I strive to provide value. I am willing to discuss flat fee work in addition to the traditional hourly billing rate. But most importantly, I want you to believe you received more than you paid for when it came to hiring legal counsel

HR/Employment Law Issues

Human Resources issues arise in all sorts of forms: employment applications, hiring methods, new hire paperwork, FMLA accommodations, harassment allegations, and termination decisions. I have handled almost every HR issue imaginable and have the experience to help you manage your HR issues — sometimes even preventing them from arising. Whether you need an HR audit conducted of your policies, practices, and procedures or need advice on handling any type of HR issue, Idlewild Legal Solutions can help. With 20 years of employment law experience, I have counseled companies on HR issues from sexual harassment, accommodating disabilities, handling FMLA requests, to I9 audits and terminations. As a former litigator, I know how juries view employers and their handling of everyday HR issues. Let me help you navigate this sometimes treacherous area of the law.

Education

Dartmouth College, A.B., 1989, English Literature
The University of Texas School of Law, 1994, with honors

Other Stuff

Member, Association of Workplace Investigators
Title IX Investigator, Certified by the Association of Title IX Administrators (2015)
Completed T9 Mastered Training
Colorado Women’s Bar Association Mentor
2007 “Texas Rising Star” – Law and Politics/Texas Monthly
Dartmouth Association of the Rocky Mountains, President 2021-2023, Board Member (2009-2015; 2019-present)
Dartmouth College, District Enrollment Director (2003-2006, 2011-2012)
Judge, East High School Constitutional Law Competition