Experienced litigation attorney Alaina Karsten joins McDonald Hopkins
McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm recognized as a destination for the industry’s top legal talent, is proud to announce the addition of Alaina Karsten to its Litigation Department. Karsten is a leader in her field, bringing a wealth of expertise and a track record of success to the firm. Her hiring reinforces that McDonald Hopkins is a premiere choice for talented attorneys looking to grow their careers.
Alaina has a national commercial litigation and trial practice and is a highly-rated civil litigation attorney in South Florida. She frequently acts on behalf of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individual equity stakeholders. She is the latest addition to McDonald Hopkins’ growing West Palm Beach office.
“Alaina's arrival has significantly bolstered the strength of our team in South Florida and has further solidified our growing influence in this market,” said Peter Bernhardt, the office managing member of McDonald Hopkins’ West Palm Beach office. "Her impressive background enriches the depth of expertise we offer our clients and we are excited to witness the innovative, collaborative solutions that will emerge with Alaina as a key member of our team.”
Alaina’s experience includes managing general commercial litigation, non-competes, trademark disputes, defamation cases, large-scale lease disputes, and corporate matters, including internal investigations, executive workouts, corporate governance, and insurance coverage disputes in a variety of industries, including aviation, automotive, medical, food services. Her litigation and transaction experience also extends to representing large institutional franchisee clients in the restaurant, retail, automotive, pharmaceutical, and health industries, among others.
Notable among her accomplishments are her roles in high-profile cases. She served as trial counsel for a minority interest holder of a closely held corporation, dealing with claims and counterclaims linked to the ownership and operation of a substantial commercial real estate holding venture. She also successfully obtained complete exoneration and dismissal with prejudice for a client facing fraud, civil conspiracy, abuse of process and received final summary judgement of malicious prosecution claim in a hotly contested case matter.
Additionally, she has defended numerous retailers and service providers in complex wage and hour, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation cases. She acted as trial counsel in a federal trial for a restaurant franchise, which involved disputes over the sale of five franchise units, and has successfully represented a national retail company in connection with trademark infringement. She recently served as trial counsel for 30-plus key inventor defendants in a multidistrict litigation, spanning from Washington to Florida, which sought damages in excess of $20 million in a broad range of patent infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition claims.
Alaina has been recognized as one of Florida Super Lawyers’ Rising Star from 2019 to 2024, and in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America. She graduated from the University of Miami Law School.
