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Top Women in Real Estate

KAREN TRIMBLE

CRE Execution Strategies, Inc.

By Judith A. Habert

Photo by Laurens Antoine Photography

AREN TRIMBLE WAS BORN gian, which is, you know, useful for that made me absolutely fall in love
Kand raised outside of Denver, pretty much nothing, except being with the intricacies of commer-
Colorado. Sadly, she lost her father able to connect with my family and cial real estate. Since then, I have
when she was just 14. Her mother friends in Norway.” always worked in the commercial
made the decision to move with her After her travels, she headed real estate field, either in banking
two daughters, Cindy and Karen, back to Coloradoб but decided or in law firms, doing transactional
back to her homeland. “My mother she had enough of the cold weath- work.”
was Norwegian, and we have a huge er. After a friend invited her out Karen eventually went to work
family in Norway. So the three of us to San Diego for a visit, she fell at Latham and Watkins, LLP. “I
moved to Norway for a year. I was, in love with the city and decided worked with some of the brightest
of course, distraught at being torn to relocate. Karen obtained a job people I have ever met. In addi-
away from my friends but loved with a law firm, a good fit for her tion, they were a fabulous group
getting to know my family there, so educational background in business of people. Some of the matters we
I soon acclimated to my new life- law, and she quickly realized how handled were billion-dollar finance
style. Norway is a beautiful country, much she loved being around such and real estate transactions includ-
and we all made some very, very incredibly bright people while par- ing power plant facilities and huge
dear friends that I am still in touch ticipating in a field she loved. resort financing deals. And when
with today.” Spurred on to learn even more, you're working on these deals, you
Karen attended an American Karen went back to school to USD’s are hyper-focused. In the last 10
school and made friends who liter- 9-month paralegal program, which days before the deals close, you
ally, with their families, traveled all at the time was the only (ABA) average about two to three hours
over the world because they were American Bar Association ap- sleep a night. It's very stressful and
embassy kids, oil company kids, proved program in San Diego. extremely intense, and I loved it.”
and military kids. They only re- After completing the program, Karen recalls a ‘Bring your Kids
mained there for a year, but Karen she was hired to work in a mid-size to Workday,’ when her son Nathan
looks back on it as a pivotal point law firm on a difficult litigation was about six. “We were closing a
in her life. “Living in a different cul- case. After the case was dropped, transaction related to the San Di-
ture at that young age really opened she happened to be it the right ego Ballpark and knew it was going
my eyes to the rest of the world place at the right time and filled to be late in the evening before we
and what was out there. Most of in for another real estate paralegal could be done and ready to close
my friends in Colorado didn’t even on a transaction. "That is where first thing in the morning. Na-
know where Norway was.” it all began, it was a very, very than ended up eating Lasagna and
Karen returned to Colorado, complicated purchase of a golf hanging out with the very senior
finished high school and decided to course project with sophisticated management of the client while I
go back to Norway for school. She tax consequences, pass through wrapped up the last items to record
ended up extended her stay so she entities, etc. I still remember the 7 first thing in the morning.”
could travel all over Europe with by 12 whiteboard with all the com- Although she loved her job
her friends. “I'm fluent in Norwe- ponents drawn out. This is the deal there, being a mom of a young

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