Melissa Fontes

SENIOR PARALEGAL

765-***-****

ad2xdo@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Senior Paralegal with 21 years of hands-on experience providing high-level paralegal support in fast-paced environments. Concrete background with litigation preparation, complex litigation, legal research, stakeholder correspondence, management of others, agreements, contracts, trial prep, high-volume caseload management, complex calendar management and legal drafting/filing.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• High Volume Caseloads

• Investigations

• Legal Operations

• Complex Litigation

• Medical Malpractice

• Agreements & Contracts

• All Litigation

• Disputed Transactions

• Product Liability

• Case Management

• Project Management

• Settlement Documents

• eDiscovery (Relativity)

• Process Improvement

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

11/2021- 10/2023 Green Dot Corporation (Remote)

Litigation Paralegal & Legal Operations Coordinator

• Manage litigation operations including all legal related matters (lawsuits, demands, arbitrations, etc.), identify and provide insight on process improvements and compliance issues, tracking of deadlines and interfacing with outside counsel and opposing counsel

• Engage necessary interdepartmental stakeholders to provide support, information, and documentation as needed to analyze litigation and litigation demands

• Compile, analyze, and serve as resource for case facts to assist with arbitration

• Investigate facts and respond to litigation demands and correspondence from opposing counsel

• Analyze facts regarding disputed transactions to determine if re-evaluation is warranted and use discretion to overturn denials

• Assist disputes department in analysis of customer disputes

• Manage all litigation and pre-litigation case files including reviewing discovery and completing investigations

• Prepare exhibits and attend hearings as corporate representative and provide testimony

• Serves as a resource to team members from other groups such as fraud, customer service, and disputes and ensure compliance of all applicable regulations

• Assist in all aspects of alternative dispute resolution including mediation and arbitrations with the AAA

• Assist with employment matters for current and past employees 10/2018-11/2021 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP, Indianapolis, IN (Remote starting March 2020)

Litigation Paralegal

• Draft discovery requests in products liability cases

• Manage all aspects of cases in multi district litigation

• Analyze medical records in preparation of preparing medical chronologies and prepare same

• Prepares case evaluations and requests for settlement authority in cases with potential for significant impact

• Under minimal supervision, manage all aspects of legal cases considered high profile, high exposure

• Participate in the legal discovery process including preparing materials for production, and assisting in identification and preparation of witnesses for depositions and trials

• Draft mediation statements and settlement agreements

• Assist in trial preparation and readying cases for trial

• Manage E-Discovery through Relativity

• Review of electronic documents in preparation for e-discovery

• Assist in deposition prep, including preparing deposition outlines and exhibits

• Manage E-docketing for large MDL including supervising docketing team, state teams, and preparing reports for practice group leader

• Exceed billable goal of 1550 hours/year

• Draft all guardianship documents to assist in pro bono matters

• Assist in various pro bono matters with veterans and prison inmates

• Obtain Articles of Organization and Certificates of Existence for real estate transactions

• Analyze Medicare lien holder payment summaries and draft dispute letters

• Supervise paralegals assisting on large projects requiring preparing response exhibits and cite checking

• Project management for large document production projects

• Manage backend of Case Notebook (create new cases, manage user permissions, uploading new depositions, etc.)

• Supervise team of four legal administrative assistants and manage allocation of work

6/2017-9/2018 Katz Korin Cunningham Indianapolis, IN Litigation Paralegal

• Support a team of at least five attorneys with generating and filing of pleadings, motions, and various tasks to run cases

• Case load between 90-100 medical malpractice cases at a time

• Assist managing attorney with all facets of compliance with the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act including formation of the statutory medical review panel and preparation of written submissions to same

• Assist in managing discovery process including drafting discovery requests and drafting responses from other parties, and review and summarize responses for report to client.

• Assist with investigations, including identification and interview of witnesses and identification/location of pertinent documents

• Manage all aspects of e-discovery in Relativity

• Draft legal documents such as discovery requests, Motion for Summary Judgements, and others, as directed by managing attorney

• Analyze medical records in preparation of preparing medical chronologies and prepare same

• Engage expert reviewers, prepare materials, and prepare expert for trial

• Assist in preparation for medical malpractice trials including preparation for and attend depositions, preparation of witnesses, preparation of exhibits

• Attend trials and assist trial attorneys as needed including “hot seat” duties

• Exceed billable goal of 1600 hours/year

• Under minimal supervision, manage legal cases considered high profile, high exposure

• Participate in the legal discovery process including preparing materials for production, deposition preparation sessions and depositions, and assisting in identification and preparation of witnesses for depositions and trials

• Supervise legal administrative assistant and manage allocation of work

• Assist in ensuring clients are HIPAA compliant

5/2014- 6/2017 Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman Indianapolis, IN Litigation Paralegal (Practice group departed and merged with Katz Korin Cunningham)

• Support a team of at least five attorneys with generating and filing of pleadings, motions, and various tasks to run cases

• Case load between 90-100 medical malpractice cases at a time

• Assist managing attorney with all facets of compliance with the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act including formation of the statutory medical review panel and preparation of written submissions to same

• Assist in managing discovery process including drafting discovery requests and drafting responses from other parties, and review and summarize responses for report to client.

• Assist with investigations, including identification and interview of witnesses and identification/location of pertinent documents

• Manage all aspects of e-discovery in Relativity

• Draft legal documents such as discovery requests, Motion for Summary Judgements, and others, as directed by managing attorney

• Analyze medical records in preparation of preparing medical chronologies and prepare same

• Engage expert reviewers, prepare materials, and prepare expert for trial

• Assist in preparation for medical malpractice trials including preparation for and attend depositions, preparation of witnesses, preparation of exhibits

• Attend trials and assist trial attorneys as needed including “hot seat” duties

• Exceed billable goal of 1600 hours/year

• Under minimal supervision, manage legal cases considered high profile, high exposure

• Participate in the legal discovery process including preparing materials for production, deposition preparation sessions and depositions, and assisting in identification and preparation of witnesses for depositions and trials

• Supervise legal administrative assistant and manage allocation of work

• Assist in ensuring clients are HIPAA compliant

6/2013-5/2014 Stewart & Stewart Carmel, IN

Litigation Paralegal

• Support team of three attorneys with generating and filing of pleadings, motions, and various tasks to run cases

• Draft initial State and Indiana Department of Insurance complaints (medical malpractice) and State complaints

• Draft discovery requests and responses to Defendants

• Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of case

• Review medical records and prepare medical chronology

• Interact with clients and defense counsel on a daily basis 8/2002- 6/2013 Hoffman, Luhman & Masson Lafayette, IN Litigation Paralegal

• Draft demands, initial suit papers, Proceeding Supplemental, other litigation documents for various types of collection matters

• Negotiate re-payment plans on collection matters

• Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of case

• Manage docket for all collection files

• Interact with Defendants, Clients, and Courts on a daily basis

• Manage approximately 2000 collection files from initial demand to release of judgment of case

• Perform background research on Defendants

• Research bankruptcy laws to ensure collection efforts coincided with federal guidelines and prepare Proof of Claims

• Research collection laws to ensure collection efforts coincided with state and federal guidelines

• Assist with Wills, Trusts, and Estates

EDUCATION

Ivy Tech State College Lafayette, IN-Technical Certificate specializing in Law Ashworth College- Paralegal Certificate

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