Professional Experience
Karen E. Hagstrom began working at SDG Law in January of 2019, as part of the litigation team. She brings over 28 years of experience to the firm. Karen spent the first nine years of her career as a prosecutor for the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, where she gained extensive negotiation and trial experience.
Karen has been in private practice for the past 19 years, focusing on tax certiorari, civil litigation, appellate advocacy, land use, and municipal law. Karen served as counsel to the Dutchess County Legislature from 2019 to 2021.
In her tax certiorari practice, Karen assists owners of commercial and residential real estate by reducing their real property taxes, from initial negotiations with the Assessor, to the filing of grievance complaints, appearances before Boards of Assessment Review, filing petitions, Article 78 motion practice, hearings, and trial. Karen represents both property owners and municipalities, including the Towns of Rhinebeck and Milan.
Notable Representations:
- Karen was the first prosecutor in Dutchess County to try a case without the testimony of a domestic violence victim, expanded the law on Aggravated Harassment in a domestic violence case, and convicted multiple gang members in a lengthy trial.
- Obtained favorable court decisions for property owners involving the reinstatement or implementation of religious, charitable, and agricultural exemptions, and the appropriate valuation of a nursing home.
- Obtained favorable court decisions for municipalities, such as the dismissal of petitions for lack of standing and for failure to establish entitlement to a charitable exemption.
- Successfully dissolved a Limited Liability Company with a receiver appointed to liquidate its assets.
- Obtained favorable court decisions determining the scope and use of easements.
- Successfully argued in the Appellate Division to declare a contract void for its failure to state essential terms.
- Obtained an award of compensatory and punitive damages for a client in a defamation lawsuit after a lengthy civil jury trial involving multiple defendants.
