Estela Machuca

*** ****** ******, ******* ****, CA 94063; 650-***-****; adjfxq@r.postjobfree.com

Educational Background

Certified Paralegal: June 2009. GPA 3.48. Dean’s List Fall 2008. Phi Theta Kappa member. Cañada College, CA.

Notary Public. Commission No. 2250785. Term commencing July 23, 2018, and ending July 22, 2022.

Attended a two-day Family Law Boot Camp presented by Attorney’s Briefcase 2006.

Attended a housing rights seminar on VAWA protections for victims of domestic violence in Washington, DC.

Professional Excellence Summary

Nine years of experience in estate planning and trust and estate administration, Eighteen years of experience in the legal field.

Desire to learn new areas of law practice, Notary Public.

Positive attitude, team player and work well under pressure in a fast-paced office, strong customer services, oral and written communication skills, ability to anticipate needs and adapt quickly.

Analytical thinking and problem solving skills, take full ownership and responsibility of tasks and assignments.

Excellent ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks/assignments simultaneously, prioritize assignments, meet deadlines, excellent proofreading skills, strong organizational skills and attention to details, transcribe tapes, and type 55+ wpm.

Mediation and court hearing interpretation for monolingual clients. Fluency in Spanish (reading, writing, interpreting, and translating).

Computer Program Skills

Legal Solutions. Essential Forms. WordPerfect. Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. InterAction. California Wills and Trusts. iManage. Net Documents. Adobe Acrobat. Aderant (time entry). Tabs3 (time entry). MacPac. LegalKey. Chrome River. EXR. Work Day. DataTree. Disso Master.

Professional Background

05/2020 – Current: Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc./Rail, San Mateo, CA – Receptionist and Accounts Payable

·Cover the front desk. Answer and route all incoming calls. Greet visitors. Maintain reception and common areas. Place weekly Staples and Aramark orders for both buildings. Maintain supply room fully stocked. Receive deliveries, sort and distribute deliveries and mail. Maintain break rooms and fully stocked with coffee, creamer, cups, lids, etc. Reload all printers with copy paper daily. Place business card orders. Operate standard office equipment. Reserve and maintain conference room calendars.

·New Incoming Invoices: Receive daily invoices twice daily via electronic mail, AP Caltrain electronic mail, and USPS; stamp invoices with the “received date” and coding stamp; log in all invoices on the Invoice Tracking Log excel spreadsheet. Scan and rename under vendor name, invoice number and save; hardcopies to AP Invoice inbox.

·Completed Batch: Batch Reports and corresponding processed invoices are given to me and I revise and update the Invoice Tracking Log by entering the “processed date” for each invoice. Scan, rename and save each processed invoice in its corresponding Batch Report file for the off-site Business Manager’s review and approval.

·Approved Batch: Each invoice is moved out of the Batch Report file and saved in its respective vendor electronic file. Hard copies are filed away.

·Filing; stuff paychecks in envelopes, put in alpha order and distribute; create new hire employee files; assist with other miscellaneous tasks.

01/2020 – 03/2020: Carmen Rosas, Esq., Redwood City, CA – Estate Planning Legal Secretary

·Support a private practice estate planning attorney.

·Revise and finalize estate planning documents, prepare binders, record grant deeds, prepare transfer documents for mobile home, assist with other tasks as needed.

·Draft and finalize enclosure letters, prepare and send signature packets, notarize estate planning documents.

·Create a records management system for active and dormant client files, create a client list.

06/2019 – 12/2019: Robert Half Legal – Receptionist / Legal Assistant

·Worked taking on short term temporary assignments when needed, i.e., cover the front desk, legal secretary tasks and provided a high level of client service with minimal supervision.

02/2018 – 02/2019: Carr McClellan P.C., Burlingame, CA – Estate Planning Legal Secretary

·Support two estate planning attorneys (one Director and one Associate).

·Draft and proofread a large volume of estate planning documents, including wills, deeds and trusts and trust amendments, certification of trusts.

·Prepare and finalized estate planning document binders, draft correspondence, coordinate attorneys’ calendars, answer incoming calls for department, schedule attorney-client meetings and conference rooms.

·Create, organize and maintain client files, scan and photocopy, rotating receptionist coverage for breaks.

·Work with clients and assist clients with transfer of assets.

·Notarize documents, process conflict checks, open new matters, coordinate out of state deed preparation with U.S. Deeds.

·Research location of client files, request offsite files, create new and maintain client files, process transfer of client files.

09/2016 – 03/2017: Anderson Yazdi Hwang Minton + Horn, LLP, Burlingame, CA – Estate Planning Legal Secretary

·Support the senior/managing partner, offer high level of service to clients, daily interaction and communication with high net worth clients and fiduciaries, utilize legal knowledge and executive assistant skills to assist attorneys with handling legal matters, estate planning matters, and trust and wealth transfers, scheduling with clients and calendar management, provide day-to-day services to maintain the overall functionality of the office.

·Daily time entries via Tabs3, transcribe and finalize clients monthly billing letters, assemble and distribute invoices to clients via regular mail, electronic mail, or electronic billing, as required, respond to attorney and client bills requests and inquiries, maintain record of special billing instructions for attorney and clients, open and review all mail, scan in executed documents and sent originals to the vault.

·Revise and/or prepare estate planning documents, deeds and related forms, record deeds, notarize documents, prepare redlines.

·Draft and finalize correspondence, engagement letters, monthly reminder letters, enclosure letters with execution instructions for clients to sign and return original executed documents and enclosed return envelopes, trust administration letters enclosing estate planning binders, mail packages via certified mail/return receipt and Federal Express.

·Prepared and submitted new client information sheets, request conflict checks, and obtain new client matter numbers, prepare, organize, and maintain client files as necessary, request offsite files, perform other administrative duties.

08/2015 – 03/2016: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP, Palo Alto, CA – Estate Planning Legal Secretary

·Provide support to four busy estate planning attorneys (two partners and two associates), and was made available to support the department managing partner when needed.

·Attorney time entries via Aderant, review and edit the narratives on monthly pre-bills (to bill, defer, and transfer) and then forward them to accounting, receive and review the billing invoices to make sure all necessary changes were made, open and review all mail, scan all documents and sent originals to the vault, create and prepare estate planning documents binders for clients, along with enclosure letter, record deeds, interoffice submission for check requests, process invoices for payment via Chrome River, prepare and submit detailed reports for expense reimbursement requests via EXR.

·Process conflict checks and new business matters, followed the records department policies and procedures for creating new client files and sub-files, file maintenance and tracking, request and return files, along with other deliveries, transfer of records, and offsite storage and retrieval via LegalKey.

·Draft and finalize correspondence to IRS and Franchise Tax Board, mail packages via certified mail/return receipt and Federal Express, draft and finalize engagement letters and enclosure letters, revised estate planning documents, notarize documents, coordinate on-site and off-site meeting arrangements, assisted attorney with travel arrangements and reservations, search and order record documents via DataTree.

09/2009 – 01/2015: Grant & Gordon, LLP, Palo Alto, CA – Estate Planning and Trust Administration Legal Secretary

·Work for a boutique law firm supporting two busy attorneys who specialize in estate planning, probate, and trust administration, including sophisticated estate and gift tax planning techniques, charitable giving, business succession planning, and provide consulting advice on wealth transfer strategies, which consists of working with ultra-high net wealth clients and advisors.

·Participate as a team player and demonstrate initiative, take responsibility and ownership of tasks, demonstrate a strong ability to prioritize and organize, multi-task, meet deadlines, show strong attention to details and proofread, work well under pressure, and work independently in a fast-paced professional working environment.

·Initiate, draft, revise, and finalize estate planning documents, which include wills, durable general powers of attorney, nominations of conservator, advance health care directives, trust certifications, and grant deeds, along with county forms (PCOR, Prop 58, and transfer tax affidavits). Prepare red lines, memorandums, and transcribe tapes and notes.

·Initiate, draft, revise, and finalize professional correspondence to clients, fiduciaries, banks/wealth management teams, government agencies, and court staff.

·Draft, revise, and finalize engagement letters and follow-up correspondence. Maintain daily client contact via phone, e-mail, facsimile, and in person, as well as notarize.

·Prepare partnership, corporation, and limited liability company formation/dissolution forms and documents. Revise and format corporate materials such as bylaws, LLC agreements, and Form W-9’s. Draft correspondence to the Secretary of State, Cal Title-Search, and title companies. Draft and finalize operations letters for non-profits, partnerships, corporations, and LLCs.

·Record real estate documents and other asset documents with county agencies and financial institutions. Order copies of deeds. Order public records including birth, death, and marriage certificates.

·Provide paralegal support including revising and finalizing court forms, petitions, and orders; gift tax returns, Heggstead petitions, inventory and appraisals, accountings, assets and liability spreadsheets, and final distribution of estate. Organize exhibits, prepare estate notebooks, and transfer documents. Correspond with debtors and creditors to obtain pertinent information. Prepare notices to beneficiaries and government agencies. Gather and value trust assets.

·Revise and finalize administration letters for revocable and irrevocable trusts, crummey trusts, generation skipping trusts, insurance trusts, separate property trusts, annuity trusts, survivor’s trusts, by-pass trusts, and QTIP trusts. Prepare estate planning notebooks and signature page packets.

·Apply for and receive employee identification numbers (EIN) online and file notices of fiduciary relationship. Prepare and transmit necessary papers to transfer/liquidate assets, including stocks, real estate, and motor vehicles.

·Prepare transfer documents for distribution of trust assets and funding sub-trusts, and accounting to beneficiaries. Prepare and finalize beneficiary designation change forms for employee benefit plans and life insurance policies.

·Greet clients, financial planners, and advisers (wealth management teams), backup receptionist, sort mail, scan documents, and convert forms and documents from paper to electronic files. Draft board meeting minutes.

09/2001 – 10/2008: Bay Area Legal Aid, San Mateo, CA – Office Manager, Legal Secretary, and Paralegal

Worked under the supervision of attorneys in housing law, family law, and VAWA and U-Visa immigration cases in the public interest sector, which consisted of working with survivors of domestic violence. Assisted attorneys in providing direct legal assistance to clients. Interviewed clients. Completed research and investigation. Analyzed discovery. Assisted with trial preparation and trial. Completed calendaring and scheduling. Attended case review meetings. Oversaw the opening, updating, maintaining, closing, and retrieval of client files. Remote agent for the legal advice line (LAL) housing law unit.

Handled my own small caseload.

Performed Spanish/English interpretation. Interpreted for clients at mediation appointments with Family Court Services and at court hearings. Interpreted in client interviews. Interpreted various legal documents for clients. Prepared and translated Spanish documents and declarations.

Ordered qualified domestic relations orders and prepared judicial forms joining retirements to the divorce. Reviewed and prepared legal documents to ensure that they were in proper format and contained all necessary portions or related documents for court acceptance. Composed and proofread correspondence, judicial court forms, and pleadings. Filed and served legal documents. Successfully negotiated landlord/tenant settlement agreements where our client was the prevailing party. Coordinated the Pro Per Eviction Clinic by conducting the initial intake, went over eviction procedures and timelines, prepared and went over court forms with clients, assessed each case to determine if client needed assistance with answer, demurrer, motion to quash, motion to set aside a default judgment, or stay of execution and discussed the cases with attorneys.

Assisted the Pro Per Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic by going over procedure and process. Filled out the court forms, which sometimes included custody/visitation orders. Returned TROs and explained to clients whether requests were granted or denied. Explained how to serve the other party. Dropped off TROs at the Sheriff’s office.

Assisted attorneys with VAWA and U-Visa immigration cases preparing FOIA requests. Provided clients with information on obtaining manual fingerprint cards. Obtained FBI background checks. Conducted fact gathering on country exits and entries.

Assisted attorneys with Pro Per Immigration Clinic in providing counsel and advice to immigrant survivors of DV on immigration matters, particularly VAWA self-petitions and the U-Visa.

Provided receptionist duties. Greeted clients and screened legal matters and client eligibility. Made appropriate referrals to other services/agencies. Demonstrated familiarity with community resources in San Mateo County. Generated various reports for the manager. Prepared and maintained legal resources and community legal education materials.

Performed office manager responsibilities. Oversaw and acted as a resource on case management, matters, and office procedures on timekeeping, calendaring, court forms, computer access, operation of all office equipment, and other computer applications to all volunteers/interns, including orientations. Maintained/updated the office library. Scheduled depositions, ordered transcripts, conducted research in Records Department and went to courtrooms to have orders signed by the court.

01/1997 – 06/2001: LoDan International, San Carlos, CA – Human Resources Assistant

Provided orientations and benefit packets to new hires. Worked with recruiting agency to fill our job openings. Created time cards for hourly employees on Jantek system. Worked with insurances, including workman’s compensation claims. Reported new hires to EDD. Used PTO SelecTime system for manager reports. Performed employee evaluations and verifications. Assisted with payroll. Maintained employees’ personnel files and rosters. Assisted as a back-up reception utilizing a multi-phone line system.

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