Episode 22: Post-Settlement Syndrome

In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™, Karen and Mo talk about the emotional crash that hits when you’re “all dressed up and nowhere to party.” Karen calls it post-settlement syndrome. The adrenaline is still pumping, but there’s no fight. They unpack what it feels like when justice is close enough to taste, but the public reckoning never happens. Mike compares it to being robbed of your moment in the ring.

The frustration is real. They reveal how even a great result for a client can feel hollow when it stops short of holding the other side publicly accountable.

They revisit the landmark $10 million Black Lives Matter settlement and explore why some lawyers would rather go to trial than accept the win. For Karen and Mo, the trial isn’t just about the outcome. It’s about the strategy, the confrontation, and the moral clarity that only comes in open court. When that energy has nowhere to go, it often manifests as spicy interactions between colleagues.

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Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

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