Assistant Office
Resume:
Lynda G. DeFrain
Utica, MI **317
acrp53@r.postjobfree.com
Position(s): Executive Administrative Assistant
Law Office Administrator
Office Manager
Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Education: Madonna University - Bachelor of Science – Law Office Administration and Paralegal Certificate
(Pre-law & Psychology)
Schoolcraft College - Associate Degree Liberal Arts.
(Computers, Psychology)
Concord Law School - (1 year – no degree)
Memberships: State of Michigan Foster Care Review Board Member
State of Michigan Bar Association – Legal Assistant Section
State of Michigan Notary Public
Employers: Hartford Insurance Company, (September, 2014 – Present) Troy, MI Law Offices
Law Offices Administrator and Legal Assistant to Stuart E. Remley and Diana Lee Khachaturian
As law office administrator I am in charge of training staff, supporting staff, reporting on staff, order supplies, dealing with vendors, reporting on expenses, caseloads and open and closed files. Maintaining and documenting closed storage. Review a new matter and coordinating the opening of files. Monthly reporting on attorney caseloads. Weekly expense reporting. Accounts payable and check registers. Coordinating staff weekly meetings. Reviewing and coordinating the payment of invoices. Constant interaction with building maintenance and IT in order to resolve issues. As a Legal Assistant I support two litigation attorneys with their caseload from open to close. Draft numerous legal documents and correspondence. Scheduling numerous meetings. Communication with courts, various counsel, vendors, adjusters and clients. Organize electronic files and physical files.
Elia & Ponto, P.C., (May, 2014 – September 2014) Southfield, MI
Paralegal/Legal Assistant to Sam Elia.
Prepare numerous legal documents and correspondence. Coordinating numerous meetings. Interaction with clients, courts and counsel. Opening and closing files. Organization of files. Establish relationship with clients in order to process information necessary to complete legal documents. Meeting with clients to secure necessary documentation and information to process a claim.
CNI, INC. – (September, 2011 – January 2014) Madison Heights, MI
Office Manager, Executive Assistant to CEO; Paralegal, Purchaser; Bldg. Manger; Travel Agent
Robert Smith, Esq. and Jorge Morales, CEO - Interior automotive parts manufacturer.
Duties: Manage 50 corporate employees. Manage building/facilities maintenance and janitorial. Travel agent for three plants (Mexico, Charlotte and Madison Heights). Expense report review, authorization and approvals. Purchaser for two plants. Event organizer. Office supplies, janitorial supplies, kitchen supplies, building and maintenance supply coordinator. Intake coordinate and settlement incident claims. Corporate registrations multi-state. Custom issues handled.
SIKORA LAW, LLC – (Part Time - June, 2011 – Dec. 2011) Bloomfield Hills, MI
Paralegal, Office Administrator - Real Estate law. Michael Melfi, Esq.
Amicus Case Management training. Real estate documents preparation, title review, resolve title clearance issues. Handle cases from start to finish. Prepare all legal and non-legal documentation to resolve or litigate a title issues claim. Manage small Michigan office. Lease and contract review, negotiate or draft. Easement and property lien clearances. Mortgage, land contract, lien holder releases. Mortgage pre-close and closing documents. Litigation to resolve property title holds.
Mohammad Elsharnoby – (Part Time – June, 2011 – Dec. 2013) Dearborn, MI
Paralegal – family law, federal matters, auto negligence, insurance claims. Draft complaints, briefs, mediation summaries, motions for summary, miscellaneous motions and arbitration summaries.
Maxsar Digital Studios, LLC (February, 2009-May, 2011) Livonia, Michigan
Legal Coordinator, Paralegal, Office Manager, Executive Administrative Assistant to CEO, Philippe Martinez. Franklin Walker, General Counsel.
Duties: Responsible for production delivery and legal document security on server and in physical files. Prepare and coordinate complete Incentive Application binder. US copyright filing. Coordinate litigation and discovery, communicating with general counsel with regard to updates, monitor and update all corporate documents, operating agreements and coordinate complete corporate minute books for numerous companies. Computer document organization on multiple servers. Coordinate and attend numerous meetings both delivery and legal production. Coordinate travel arrangements, daily itineraries, conference calls, employee assistance, building security and manage employees and records. Office managing of 35 employees and 45 Independent contractors. HR coordinating inclusive of contracts for independent contractors and State of Michigan documentation for regular employees hourly and salary. Establishing/recommending procedures, protocol and security. Large and small event planning. Coordinator of travel. Coordinator of movie screening and cocktail party. Corporate minute books preparation from start to finish inclusive of minute updates, stock certificate issuance, updates and cancellations.
Thomas M. Keranen & Associates, P.C. (2007-2009) Southfield, Michigan
Paralegal/Executive Assistant to Thomas M. Keranen, Jeffrey M. Gallant, Frederick F. Butters and Michael S. Burink. Litigation, collections, liens, wills, probate.
Duties: Drafting complaints, motions, briefs, orders, discovery; reviewing, organizing, serving documents; coordinating, organizing, managing, indexing files; docket management, communicating by telephone, email and in person with attorneys, clients, witnesses and courts; calculating judgments; preparing charts and inventories. Travel arrangements and itinerary coordinating. (Commercial, construction, negligence, insurance, family, corporate, probate.)
Abbott Nicholson, P.C. – Detroit, MI – 2002 - 2006
Legal Assistant/Executive Assistant to William D. Gilbride, Jr., Carl F. Jarboe, Timothy J.
Kramer, Robert Y. Weller, Brian H. Rolfe, Daniel G. Kielczewski and - Indirectly to: Gene
J. Esshaki, Faith M. Gaudaen, Thomas Quilter and Christopher R. Gura.
Duties: Drafting complaints, motions, briefs, orders, discovery; reviewing, organizing, serving documents; coordinating, organizing, managing, indexing files; docket management, attending meetings; investigating, researching, dep. summarizing, order and summarize records, trial prep, Westlaw and Pacer knowledge, UCC search, title search, corporate records, driving records; corporate document preparation; debentures, stock cert., minutes, bankruptcy claims, communicating by telephone, email and in person with attorneys, clients, witnesses and courts; calculating judgments; preparing charts and inventories. Travel arrangements and itinerary coordinating. (Employment, labor, commercial, construction, negligence, insurance, family, corporate.)
(Other prior employers per request.)
References: Stuart E. Remley 248-***-**** – Senior Lawyer (The Hartford)
Robert Smith 248-***-**** - Lawyer (CNI)
Wilma Mann 248-***-**** (Personal friend and past co-worker at CNI)
Michael Melfi 248-***-**** – Lawyer (Sikora Law)
Mohammad Elsharnoby 248-***-**** 313-***-**** - Lawyer
Carl Nemeth, Esq. 248-***-**** - Lawyer
Philippe Martinez 310-***-**** – CEO of Maxsar
(Other references per request.)
Technical: Various computer program experience inclusive of Windows, Wordperfect, Word, Quickbooks, Tabs, Database, Excel, Internet Explorer, Amicus, Document (Case) Management, AOL, Adobe-Pro, Powerpoint, Time-slips, administrator of Servers, familiar with Summation and can easily adapt to new technology. Data entry for automotive purchasing system. Research databases: Westlaw, Pacer and Lexis. Trained ECF, ELF, True filing, Macomb, Oakland and Wayne efiling, Odyssey and Wiznet. Excellent typing and telephone skills.
Non-technical: Twenty-seven years of legal experience. Energetic, fast learner, open to change, organized, adaptable, flexible, self-motivated, determined, pleasant social skills, goal and family oriented. Independent worker as well as a team player. Up-for-the-challenge personality. Familiar with law libraries located at Oakland and UDM. Work well with others and have prepared performance reviews of others. Participated in title IV-E file reviews for Foster Care 2007, 2008 and 2009. Attended several State of Michigan, Supreme Court, Foster Care Required Educational Conferences. Full customer and vendor communication and servicing. Complete building and facility management. Human Resources skills together with employee intake, record processing and storing.
Salary: Full-time, 60K salary w/medical benefits, 401k/profit sharing, incentives with paid vacation, personal and sick time.
Charities: Breast Cancer Society; Special Olympics; American Veterans; Missions; Royal Family Kids Camp
Hobbies: Extremely active biker and hiker. Enjoy basketball, softball and long distance walking.
Skills/knowledge:
Drafting letters, complaints, orders, motions, praecipes, briefs, affidavits, petitions, garnishments, defaults, judgment and related court documents.
Conducting Address searches and verifications.
Attending/coordinating practice group meetings and quarterly professional staff meetings.
Service of court documents upon required parties.
Contacting and subpoenaing witnesses/experts.
Attending telephone conferences w/clients and Attorneys.
Law library work inclusive of locating cases, copying and highlighting pertinent sections.
Westlaw. Lexis and pacer research.
Medical record summaries.
Organizing and managing client files and information.
Adobe redacting.
Privilege logs.
File construction and maintenance.
Docketing and calendaring dates.
Calculating judgments, interest.
Scheduling depositions, meetings and conference calls.
Travel arrangements (air, hotel and vehicle) domestic and international.
Copying, coordinating and mailing.
Finalizing and filing pleadings and documents.
Preparing deposition summaries.
Drafting discovery materials for service.
Communicating with court, attorneys and clients.
Researching corporate status.
Familiar with court rules, ethical obligations and related procedures.
Bankruptcy; Foreclosures; Collections.
Drafting corporate documents – debentures, certificates, articles, minutes, etc.
Preparing agendas, coordinating materials for mtgs.
Preparing meeting minutes.
Distribute funds inclusive of bank transactions and final calculations to disbursements for receivership.
Closing files.
Managing file storage (physical and electronic).
Register of Deeds – strong familiarity.
Researching client conflicts.
Indexing files, exhibits, etc.
Billing time and entering time into office billing system.
ECF and Wiznet filing training and experience. True filing. Wayne County e-filing.
Locating and organizing exhibits to motions and briefs.
Investigating individuals, businesses and corporations.
Training associate attorneys on court, office and computer procedures and drafting of documents.
Travel to courts to file legal documents (circuit, probate, register of deeds, district and family court).
Take inventory and order supplies.
Training employees on computers, procedures, document formation, file organization (physical/electronic).
Copyright searches and registrations (US).
Litigation status charts. Corporate parent and sister company charts.
Scanning to PDF and redacting on Adobe.
Coordinating multiple servers and documents.
Research and writing motions for summary, arbitration and mediation summaries.
Purchasing for multiple plants, ordering supplies, office, kitchen and janitorial.
Excel daily production and material waste report breakdown.
Travel arranging, expensing and budget reports.
Company expense report reviews, approvals and charting.
Inventory.
ATO Case Manage Training and Management
Iron Mountain training
Case Opening / Case Closing Procedures & Management
Employee relations, training, recruiting.
Citric/Advent case management system
ECOS/EDM filing and interaction
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