Karen M. Villanueva - Temple, TX

A native Central Texan, Karen graduated magna cum laude from St. Edward’s University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2016, she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence with a concentration in Estate Planning from Baylor Law School. While in law school, she was also a member of Baylor Law’s Pro Bono Transactional Team that helped draft estate planning documents for members of the community.

Following law school, Karen volunteered with client legal services at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, preparing estate planning documents for soldiers and their families. After PCS’ing with her husband to Fort Bliss, Texas, she practiced with a prominent El Paso law firm, Firth Bunn Kerr Neill. During her time in El Paso, Karen’s experiences ranged from simple, uncontested probate and guardianship cases to contentious, litigated trust disputes and complex will and guardianship contests.

Karen joined the firm in February 2021, where her practice areas include probate, guardianship, and estate planning. Karen is a member of the State Bar of Texas, REPTL (the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Law section of the bar), and the Bell County Bar Association. She is also certified to represent both applicants and proposed wards in guardianship proceedings.

When Karen isn’t working, she enjoys gardening, reading, quilting and crafts, and spending time with her husband and three sons.