Teresa Mercill Held

ad2a7v@r.postjobfree.com 720-***-****

Summary

Diligent and experienced Legal Assistant with over 20 years’ experience. A skilled legal researcher, providing expert case management support, maintaining complex docket systems, tracking deadlines, and coordinating depositions. I have specialized knowledge of antitrust, telecommunications, patent infringement, healthcare, medical malpractice, insurance defense, oil and gas, class action, and labor and employment defense. I have a current notary commission.

Software/Litigation Skills

Microsoft Suite (Word/Outlook/Excel/PowerPoint)

NetDocs

iManage

CMS

ProLaw

eDocket

Westlaw

Lexis-Nexis

Pacer/ECF filings

Legal Databases

Accounting & Timekeeping Packages

Recent Experience

Littler Mendelson Nov. 2023 to Present

Attorney Practice Coordinator (Temporary)

I was hired as an interim APC (legal assistant) after an employee left and the firm was vetting a recent hire.

The office has a rotating remote schedule for the other APCs; I worked on-site assisting them as needed and taking care of tasks better handled on-site.

Baker Hostetler July 2023- Sept. 2023

Legal Assistant (Temporary)

I was hired as an interim legal assistant after an employee left and the firm was vetting a recent hire.

I worked with two partners, an associate and a paralegal in the class action practice group,

Responsibilities included drafting and filing Entries of Appearances and Motions to Consolidate in various federal courts around the country, keeping track of docket deadlines.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Nov. 2022 - March 2023

Legal Practice Assistant - Bankruptcy

I worked with senior shareholder, junior shareholder, junior associate and paralegal. Responsibilities included preparing pleadings templates, updating monthly spreadsheets as exhibits to filed pleadings, proofreading documents, drafting simple correspondence, updating client/case information charts, entering time, and finalizing monthly client invoices.

Even though I have years of litigation experience, the federal bankruptcy practice is an entirely different beast. The firm’s bankruptcy team was small and insular with several years of working together. Communication was difficult and we realized the position was not a good fit. The senior partner, Mike Pankow, and I developed a good relationship; the rest of the team and I did not. He will provide a reference.

Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith Nov. 2021 - July 2022

Legal Assistant

I worked with a shareholder and two associates whose areas of practice are antitrust, class action, and intellectual property & technology around the country.

I was responsible for docketing, calendaring depositions, and filing federal court pleadings.

I also conducted Internet searches for possible intellectual property infringement issues.

At that time, the firm was in a state of flux, facing attorney migrations and downsizing the Denver office. I was laid off due to a lack of work.

COVID-19 July 2020- Nov. 2021

I was laid off from Wells, Anderson & Race at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. I worked a few remote and contract jobs until I was able to find a viable full-time position.

Wells, Anderson & Race, LLC Aug. 2018 - July 2020

Senior Litigation Assistant

I was a Senior Litigation Assistant to a senior partner with a thriving insurance defense litigation practice.

I was responsible for roughly 20 active litigation cases at any given time, which included creating letter and pleading templates, updating Case Information Worksheets, creating and updating docket control worksheets, and downloading and circulating disclosure and discovery filings, including retention of documents.

I tracked third-party cases, both state-wide and national.

I was also in charge of updating 5 attorneys’ calendars to coordinate dates available for depositions, scheduling conferences, Examinations under Oath and client conferences.

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP March 2015- July 2018

Office Manager/Legal Assistant to Office Head

I was recruited by an attorney with whom I worked at Ogletree Deakins to set up a branch office for an Atlanta-based labor and employment, and immigration law firm.

As Office Manager, I was responsible for recruiting and training legal assistants.

Additional responsibilities included day-to-day facilities, IT support, staff training and orientation, monthly client invoicing and vendor accounts.

In addition, I provided legal assistant support to the Office Head and 7 other attorneys in the office, which often included drafting correspondence (including engagement letters and audit responses), motions and other pleadings, e-filing in various state and federal courts around the country, docketing, downloading and indexing court documents and client documents in Worksite.

Faegre Drinker Biddle Reath LLP Sept. 2014 - March 2015

Legal Administrative Assistant

I worked with a senior shareholder and two associates in the complex commercial litigation group.

The senior shareholder also worked with various Colorado legal, judicial, and other organizations providing advice and guidance regarding legal ethics and professional responsibility.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Feb. 2011-Sept. 2014

Senior Legal Secretary

Worked with a senior shareholder and two associates with an international labor and employment practice.

Worked for the senior shareholder who was on the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary (2012-2015), which vetted then President Obama-appointed federal judge nominees.

oThis work involved background research of the nominee’s work history and community involvement (including reaching out to his/her state, federal and appellate judges and justices) to corroborate the candidate’s viability for nomination.

o This work was done to prepare a comprehensive report for the Committee to make an informed recommendation to present to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Holme Roberts & Owens, LLP Sept. 2008 – Jan. 2011

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Senior Legal Secretary, Floater Secretary

December 2009, I began work for two litigation partners. Prior to 2009, I worked as a relief secretary providing desk coverage for absent staff.

In addition, I took on special projects for partners and paralegals on an as-needed basis.

I was attached to the Docketing Department during the firm’s transition from CMS to ProLaw.

Jacobs, Chase, Frick, Kleinkopf & Kelly April 2007 – Aug. 2008

Senior Legal Secretary

My attorney assignments were with a defense employment law litigator and other partners defending clients embroiled in complex civil litigation lawsuits (Mag. Judge Reid Neureiter (D. Colorado), and Ann Frick, former Denver District Court Judge and now an Arbitrator/Mediator with JAG).

In addition to providing legal secretary support, I also worked on special projects for litigation paralegals and other attorneys as needed, which included formatting documents, building style templates, and protected/editable office forms.

(The firm is no longer in existence; many attorneys and staff moved to Husch Blackwell)

Davis and Ceriani, P.C. Nov.2006- April 2007

Senior Legal Secretary

I worked with two partners and a senior associate with a complex securities fraud litigation practice.

Holland & Hart LLP May 2002- Aug. 2005

Senior Legal Secretary

I worked with four attorneys developing a healthcare insurance practice for the firm.

I assisted the firm’s department managers with special projects, including the development of guidelines and forms helping the firm transition in lateral attorneys.

I also co-chaired Holland & Hart’s Foundation organization to vet viable charitable contributions.

Education

University of Denver Sturm College of Law

MSLA Diplomate in Law Office Administration August 2001 to May 2002

Graduate Student

I took an education sabbatical to pursue a Diplomate Certificate in DU’s Master of Science in Legal and Judicial Administration program, completing 16 credits of coursework (3.8 GPA). The Program embodied studies in human resources, financial planning and accounting for law firms, data knowledge trends, applied management theory, strategic planning and client marketing, and application of business principles as they pertain to a legal practice.

Contact this candidate