Karen Milner's practice focuses on the representation and counsel of management in matters and disputes related to employment law and labor relations. 

Clients rely on Karen's day-to-day employment law counseling in the areas of wage and hour compliance, affirmative action planning and compliance, business immigration law, and workplace safety & health. She routinely works with in-house counsel, human resources directors and staff, and directors of labor relations to develop litigation avoidance strategies and to successfully defend against administrative actions or litigation from current and former employees. Well-versed in Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing regulations, Karen is comfortable drafting and editing company handbooks and policy manuals to ensure compliance with these unique and ever-evolving regulations.

On behalf of clients, Karen has appeared before various federal and state agencies from Kansas to Alaska including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the City of St. Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Agency. Karen also has extensive experience handling numerous labor arbitrations for employers facing contract interpretation issues as well as disputes related to the discipline and discharge of employees. In addition, Karen has expertise in handling OSHA compliance issues, complaints, successfully having OSHA citations modified or eliminated, and regularly handles OSHA and MSHA matters, including retaliation claims.

Karen is a regular contributor and editor for the American Bar Association's Fair Labor Standards Act Supplements. 

Honors & Awards
  • Best Lawyers in America - Litigation Labor and Employment (2021-2025)
  • Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating

Screen Reader Content

Martindale-Hubbell Widget

Screen Reader Content

Karen Milner - Best Lawyers 2025 Widget

  • Successfully represented client in labor arbitration involving challenge to implementation of no-fault attendance policy.
  • Represented large rural county in resolving allegations of failure to comply with ADA public accommodation requirements and negotiating favorable settlement agreement with the Department of Justice.
  • Successfully negotiated settlement agreement with U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division’s Solicitor’s office in connection with allegations of failure to pay for time worked and other FLSA violations.
  • Prevailed in labor arbitration involving an employer’s refusal to take a drug test.
  • Prevailed in labor arbitration involving employee dishonesty.
  • Successfully defended employer against age-based failure to promote claim before the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
  • Prevailed in claim on behalf of employer before Illinois Human Rights Commission alleging race discrimination.
  • Participated in successful settlement of class action claim alleging misclassification of workers as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Prevailed in numerous labor arbitrations involving discipline and discharge based on attendance issues, preventable accidents, fighting in the workplace, failure to properly perform job duties, and failure to comply with various employer policies regarding use of cell phones, use of illegal drugs, insubordination, and other rules.
  • Successful resolution of numerous complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division.
  • Successful resolution of citations filed against employers for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
  • Favorable settlements obtained in connection with charges filed with the EEOC under the ADA alleging failure to accommodate.
Education
  • St. Louis University School of Law
    J.D., 1987
  • University of Missouri
    B.S., 1983
Memberships
  • American Bar Association
  • Illinois Bar Association
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Visiting Nurse Association, Board of Directors, Former Member
Bar Admissions
  • Missouri
  • Illinois
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri