Customer Service Assistant

Heather M. Roper

**** ********* *** ******, ***. 507 - Miami, FL 33172

786-***-**** • **************@*****.***

Profile

Driven, personable, professional legal secretary with a management and customer service background and a unique skill

set that includes extensive experience with Workers’ Compensation, Family Law and Insurance Defense. I have

meticulous attention to detail and effective time management skills, with the ability to remain focused under pressure.

Flexible, versatile, and poised with the competence to fill multiple roles, I have been called a “quick learner” by

supervisors.

Professional Skills and Certifications

Certified Notary Public for the State of Florida through November 9th, 2012

Advanced understanding of Microsoft Outlook 2010, Microsoft Word 2007, Corel WordPerfect 12, Novell

GroupWise, Sage Timeslips, and PerfectLaw AIM

Advanced understanding of filing procedures for the tri-county area and the Division of Administrative Hearings

Advanced understanding in Medicare Set-Aside procedures

Advanced understanding of child support arrearage and recovery procedures

Intermediate understand of filing procedures with Federal Court

Intermediate understanding of Provantage

Intermediate understanding of annuity contract procedures

Intermediate understanding of marital law procedures

Beginner understanding of Summation

Highly successful at working both independently and as a team member

Highly successful at providing information about new products and services to all customer types

Professional Experience

Legal Assistant

Butler Pappas Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP September 2010 – Present

(First Party Insurance Defense)

Accomplishments:

Hired to work as a legal assistant for a partner and three associates with a focus exclusively on Insurance defense,

in a high volume and fast paced environment.

Quickly learned the procedures related to Civil litigation.

Quickly learned the procedures related to pre-litigation.

Managing a case load of over fifty cases primarily dealing with multi-building and multi-unit hotels and

condominium associations.

Responsibilities:

Scheduling or re-scheduling as needed, depositions, conferences, hearings, mediations, inspections, telephone

conferences with clients, opposing counsel, expert witnesses, and other involved parties.

Preparing files for litigation events.

Prepare all discovery for trial and hearings.

Drafting Motions, Notices, Interrogatories, Request for Production Subpoenas and various other Pleadings as

necessary.

Filing Pleadings, Motions, Notices, etc. in court.

Prepare legal correspondence for all parties referenced in casework.

Prepare hearing, deposition, trial and exhibit binders.

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Diary attorney calendar with deadlines to file answers to Complaints, Requests for Production, Interrogatories,

Requests for Admissions and various other Pleadings as necessary.

Ordering hearing and deposition excerpts and transcripts.

Daily e-mailing, scanning, faxing, filing and data entry.

Opening of new case files and closing settled case files.

Confirm the daily calendar for multiple attorneys.

Given authority to work and communicate directly with clients via email, letter correspondence, and telephone.

Enter time entries for the partner attorney for all incoming and outgoing mail.

Daily use of client required website, visibillity, for client contact, notes, invoices, etc., as required.

Legal Assistant

Barranco & Kircher,. P.A. September 2009-September

2010

(Family Law)

Accomplishments:

Hired to work as a legal assistant to two associates that work directly with the lead managing partner in a high

profile Family Law firm.

Quickly learned the procedures related to Family Law litigation.

Responsibilities:

Scheduling or re-scheduling as needed, depositions, conferences, hearings, private mediations, with clients,

opposing counsel, expert witnesses, and other involved parties.

Preparing files for litigation events.

Prepare all discovery for trial and hearings.

Drafting Motions, Notices, Pleadings, Interrogatories, Answers to Interrogatories, Request for Production,

Responses to Request for Production, Subpoenas and Mandatory Disclosure.

Filing Pleadings, Motions, Notices, etc. in court.

Prepare legal correspondence for all parties referenced in casework.

Prepare hearing, deposition, trial and exhibit binders.

Diary attorney calendar with deadlines to file answers to Request for Production, Mandatory Disclosure,

Interrogatories, Subpoenas

Review of extensive financial documents and prepare a summary for the case attorney with meticulous detail to

determine what is outstanding or missing.

Ordering hearing and deposition excerpts and transcripts.

Daily e-mailing, scanning, faxing, filing and data entry.

Paralegal

Charouhis & Wright January 2005-Present

(Workers’ Compensation, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury)

Accomplishments:

Originally hired as a legal assistant to work with a junior associate. By September of 2006 I was working with

the senior partner/owner, managing partner, senior associate and three junior associates. By August of 2007 I had

been trained and started working as a paralegal.

Demonstrated flexibility, responsibility, and willingness to accept new challenges by taking on additional office

management responsibilities and case work involving annuity contracts and Medicare Set-Asides.

Increased law firm efficiency, productivity, and revenue by upgrading the firm to e-file compatibility with the

State of Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings.

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Improved law firm training processes by establishing billing guidelines and creating training documentation.

Displayed tenacity and meticulous attention to detail by successfully closing many high profile, high exposure,

multi-year claims.

Increased law firm reputation and goodwill by creating positive relationships with legal secretaries and

paralegal’s from opposing counsel law firms as well as judicial assistants representing many State of Florida

Courts.

Eased law firm’s migration from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Outlook by individually training other

employees.

Responsibilities:

Case evaluation preparation for lawyer and clients.

Prepare legal correspondence for all parties referenced in casework.

Preparation of legal documents including:

Pleadings

Various Notices of Hearings, including but not limited to: Depositions, Appearance,

Unavailability and Private Mediations

Subpoenas for records including but not limited to: medical records, automobile records,

attorney records, pharmaceutical records, employment records

Uniform Statewide Pre-Trial Stipulation

Various Stipulation including but not limited to Joint Stipulation of Attorney’s Fees and Costs

and Side Stipulations of Attorney’s Fees and Costs

Responses to Requests to Produce, Requests for Copies, and Petitions for Benefits

Various Motions, including but not limited to Motions to Compel, Motion to Substitute Private

for State Mediation, Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Specificity, Motion to Enforce Settlement

Agreement

Opening of new case files and closing settled case files

Scheduling or re-scheduling as needed, depositions, conferences, hearings, private mediations, with clients,

plaintiff, opposing counsel, expert witnesses, and other involved parties.

Confirm the daily calendar for multiple attorneys

Given authority to work and communicate directly with clients via email, letter correspondence, and telephone

Maintaining billing entries per month (minimum of 160 hours required) and successfully billing over the minimal

hours, achieving monthly bonuses

Performed additional responsibilities as Office Manager:

Maintain and manage inventory for all office supplies

Ensure all office equipment and local computer network is kept in working order- scheduling

preventative maintenance as repairs as needed

Manage and distribute the daily mail

Handle all incoming calls and deliveries

File all documents received or prepared in the hard case files

Other Experience

Assistant General Manager - Superstore

August 2003 - December 2004

F.Y.E (For Your Entertainment) - Miami, FL

Accomplishments:

Met or exceeded all quarterly and annual sales targets and all loss prevention goals

Successfully managed store remodeling without disruption to sales or service

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Responsibilities:

Managed 25-30 associates of a multi-million dollar retail business

Hired, trained and led performance reviews for associates

Scheduled workhours and reported payroll to corporate office

Implemented daily, weekly and monthly sales and planners

Managed and monitored inventories to ensure loss prevention

Developed positive customer relationships through excellent customer service

Education

Madison Area Technical College - Madison, WI

Police

Science

August 1997 - June 1998

Milton High School - Milton, WI

Graduated

1993-1997

References

References are available upon request.

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