Karen K. Peabody Boris has been a partner with the firm since 1998. Her practice focuses on civil litigation and appellate work in both state and federal courts. She specializes in the defense of public entities in areas such as employment, civil rights, government tort liability, defamation, and administrative mandamus at the trial and appellate level.

Since joining the firm in 1997, Karen has successfully represented her clients at both the trial and appellate levels. She has handled or played a significant role in handling more than seventy-five cases for The Regents of the University of California and its campuses and employees. In many of these cases, Karen first obtained summary judgment on behalf of her clients at the trial court level and then successfully represented the clients at the appellate court level resulting in the judgment being upheld.

Karen’s practice has also included representing the City of Simi Valley (primarily the Simi Valley Police Department) and the City of Lompoc in litigation generally involving civil rights and employment matters. In one case which lasted for a number of years, Mena v. City of Simi Valley, a civil rights action arising out of the execution of a search warrant, Karen represented the City of Simi Valley and several Simi Valley police officers at the District Court level (with David Nye), three times on appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, and once (with co-appellate counsel from Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood, LLP) before the United States Supreme Court, resulting in a number of published federal opinions.

Karen’s published appellate opinions include:
Muehler v. Mena, 544 U.S. 93, 125 S.Ct. 1465, 161 L.Ed.2d 299 (2005)
Mena v. City of Simi Valley, 354 F.3d 1015 (9th Cir. 2004)
Mena v. City of Simi Valley, 332 F.3d 1255 (9th Cir. 2003)
City of Simi Valley v. Superior Court (2003) 111 Cal.App.4th 1077, 4 Cal.Rptr.3d 468
Paine v. City of Lompoc, 265 F.3d 975 (9th Cir. 2001)
Mena v. City of Simi Valley, 226 F.3d 1031 (9th Cir. 2000)

Karen is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara and received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1995. After graduation, she was admitted to first to the Michigan Bar and then to the California Bar. Karen initially practiced law with the Detroit, Michigan law firm of Hutchinson & Associates, P.C. (formerly the Law Offices of Michael J. Hutchinson) and wrote annotations for American Law Reports before returning to Santa Barbara.

Karen lives in Santa Barbara County with her husband, Tim Boris, and two children. In addition to spending time with her family, Karen enjoys reading and is an avid long-distance runner.

CONTACT >>
Karen K. Peabody
(805) 963-2345
e-mail: karen@nps-law.com

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Practice Areas:
Appellate
Employment
Public Entity