ANA R. ALMANZAR

** ****** ***.

Piscataway, NJ **854

CELLPHONE: 732-***-****

advloe@r.postjobfree.com

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:

Organized, diligent, and motivated individual with extensive experience working for private law firms, in-house counsel, judiciary superior court, non-profit organizations, office management and community programs with a background in litigation law, corporate, criminal, personal injury, civil, chancery, Executive support, and office management. Bilingual professional with strong organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Excellent communication skills, written and verbal. Expert Content write for public relations and marketing. Certified Court Interpreter. Skilled in legal and business law operations, both domestic and international. Excelled in handling large caseloads, while working independently and as a team player, to meet deadlines.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

LEGAL SERVICES OF NJ Nov. 2021 to January 2023

Litigation Specialist/Admin. Assistant

• Litigation work on files

• Maintance of Files to maintain files with updated documents and information.

• Conducting intakes of potential new clients and scheduling appointments with

attorneys and advocates

• Answering client telephone calls, courts, outside counsel, etc.

• Scheduling appointments for attorneys, advocates and clients

• Calendar maintenance for matters

• Preparing files for represeantion and Court

• Requesting and obtaining Discovery, i.e. medicals records, police reports, evidence

photos, videos and audios

• Typing, filing, scanning, Xeroxing, opening and closing of files. Archiving.

• Preparing reports, weekly and monthly

• Preparing literature for the public for community programs, conferences and events

• Preparing legal documentation for filing with the Court

• Conducting Eligibility screening for legal services to be provided to clients of

low income community.

• Preparing emails to clients

• Preparing DocuSign and Adobe Documents to send to clients for signature

• Providing referral information to community based programs to additional assitance.

• Serving as interpreter for Spanish speakign clients.

• Preparation of Timekeeping reports and other pertienet reports, weekly and monthly

• Extensive use of Zoom for virtual meetings and conferences

• Extensive use of the Legal Server Program

• Preparing time reports, wait time reports, doing referral intakes, web intakes

• Clearing legal inbox of documents from clients and placing in electronic files

LAW OFFICES OF HAROLD J. GERR Jun. 2018 to May 2021

Sr. Litigation Paralegal

•Maintenance and full work up on Personal Injury matters, Complex PI cases, Medical Malpractice, Superior Court and Federal USDC matters, Wills and Estates, Worker's Compensation, and Municipal Matters.

•Obtaining Discovery and responding to discovery requests

•Drafting of correspondence to clients, doctors, attorneys, courts, experts, etc.

•Answering telephone calls of clients, attorneys, Courts, Experts, and other pertinent individuals regarding the cases

•Maintaining calendar for my case files

•Preparing files/cases for Case management conferences, depositions, arbitrations, pre-trial hearings, settlement conferences and trials

•Billing of time and costs

•Preparing settlement statements

•Obtaining expert to be deposed and obtaining expert reports

•Heavy telephone contact and interaction with clients, courts, judges, doctors’ offices, outside counsel, insurance companies, experts, and adjusters

•Scheduling of meetings, telephone conferences, case management conference, trials, depositions, answering interrogatories with clients, screening of new potential clients

•Translating for the office with Spanish Speaking clients

•Intake and Screening of new potential clients and cases.

•Photocopying, scanning of documents

•Faxing and emailing of documents

•Dictation: note taking (speedwriting) and also use of electronic dictation using the internet program BIGHAND

•Typing, Word for Windows and WordPerfect

•Filing and maintenance of case files to keep organized and in order

•Assisting in Negotiations and Settlemnts of Cases, successfully settled cases and prepared Settlement Packages and Statements

•Handling important documents relative to case files

•Drafting, finalization and filing of legal documents with the courts

•Legal Research with LexisNexis; Westlaw and Pacer

•Extensive legal research on miscellaneous and various numerous case files and trial preparation. Federal and Superior Court matters.

•Requesting medical records, expert reports, transcripts

•Experience with medical experts, exhibits liability and engineering reports

•E-filing legal documents and pleadings on e-courts system, JEDS and USDC

•Preparation of Trial Binders, Exhibits and other pertinent materials for use in Court

•Work and entering updated information on cases into Abacus Legal Program used a database for cases with the firm

•Knowledgeable use of Pacer

•Expert Knowledge and Experienced use of ABACUS Legal program

•Expert Use of Outlook

•Adobe Documents

•DocuSign Documents

•Expert knowledgeable use of Westlaw program

•Use of Voicenext phone system

•Use of Excel Program

•Use of PowerPoint Program for presentations

The Weiss Group - Leonard Weiss, Esq. Mar. 2018 to Jun. 2018

Temporary Legal Assistant - Contract Assignment

•Worked on civil litigation matters, Plaintiff cases in wokers compensaiton, slip and falls, personal injury matters, automobile accidents, and family law matters, i.e. Divorce, Child support, child custody and matrimonial mediation and settlements

LEVINSON and AXELROD, PA Sept. 2017 to Feb. 2018

Temporary Paralegal/Legal Assistant - Contract Assignment

•Maintenance of personal injury case files; workers compensation, and social security appeals

•Drafting correspondence and legal documentation inclusive of pleadings and filing of same through e-courts, maintaining calendars for attorneys, answering phones.

•Heavy phone contact with clients, courts, attorneys, doctors, and insurance adjusters.

•Experience in drafting, preparing, finalizing grants and proposals and contracts. Experience and knowledge in Reading of same

•Experience in public relations and marketing

EICHEN, CRUTCHLOW, ZASLOW & McELROY, LLP Feb. 2016 to Sept. 2017

Temporary Litigation Paralegal/Legal Assistant - Contract Assignment

•Maintenance and full work up on Medical Malpractice Cases and Personal Injury matters.

•Obtaining Discovery and requesting same

•Drafting of correspondence to clients, doctors, attorneys, courts, experts, etc.

•Answering telephone calls of clients, attorneys, courts, experts, and other pertinent individuals regarding the cases

•Maintaining calendar for my immediate supervisor, a partner with the firm

•Preparing files/cases for trial

•Billing on files I work on

•Preparing closing statements

•Obtaining expert to be deposed and obtaining expert reports

•Heavy telephone contact and interaction with clients, courts, judges, doctors’ offices, outside counsel, insurance companies, experts, and adjusters

•Scheduling of meetings, conferences, settlement conferences, case management conference, trials, depositions, answering interrogatories with clients, interviews with new potential clients

•Photocopying, scanning of documents

•Faxing

•Dictation: note taking (speedwriting) and also use of electronic dictation using the internet program BIGHAND

•Typing, Word for Windows and WordPerfect

•Filing

•Handling important documents relative to case files

•Drafting, finalization and filing of legal documents with the courts

•Legal Research with LexisNexis

•Requesting medical records, expert reports, transcripts

•E-filing on e-courts system

•Preparation of Trial Binders, Exhibits and other pertinent materials for use in Court

•Work and entering updated information on cases into Needles Legal Program used a database for cases with the firm

•Use of Fonality phone system

•Use of Excel Program

•Use of PowerPoint Program for presentations

LINDABURY, McCORMICK, ESTABROOK & COOPER, P.C. Aug. 2009 to Jun. 2015

Paralegal/Legal Assistant

•Managed and analyzed over 350+ cases by assisting attorneys to prepare for hearings, trials, depositions, investigative interviews, guardianship ad litem hearings, arbitration hearings, settlement conferences and board meetings.

•Drafted correspondence to clients', doctors, attorneys, insurance companies and the courts, typing of meeting minutes, prepared documents for ethics committee hearings.

•Conducted interviews of potential new clients and new cases.

•Assisted in negotiating and settling cases with insurance companies, adjusters, and other attorney’s offices by preparing settlement packages for arbitration hearings and reviews according to the Best Practices Guidelines.

•Worked on and assisted with Real Estate Transactions. Preparation of Deeds, Titles, Contracts of Sale, Closings, HUD Statements and Filing with the Clerk's office of real estate transactional documents.

•Worked on Foreclosures, Probate Matters, Bankruptcies and Sheriff Sales. PBAs and

•Worked for 3 shareholders/partners of the firm. Served as their right-hand assistant/executive to each.

•Maintained calendars for each attorney, business, personal and as well as made travel arrangements for each.

•Met with clients to review and prepare interrogatories, legal documents and agreements.

•Screened new potential clients over the phone and in person doing intakes.

•Retained appropriate experts and their reports in meeting with discovery demands.

•Drafted and finalized motions, Complaints, Summons, Summary Judgment Motions, oppositions, other miscellaneous pleadings, responsive pleadings, and prepared evidence and exhibits for trial and arbitration, as well as assisting in the preparation of briefs and appeals.

•Analyzed and assembled complex information and data, managing litigation and administrative timelines.

•Knowledge of premises, auto liability, personal injury, contractual and common law indemnifications.

•Worked on Labor employment matters, under the direction of Eric B Levine, Esq. Worked on Labor dispute matters for PBAs, Unions, for police and firemen and other non-profit organizations. Also assisted other attorneys in other types of labor law issues and complaints. Worked on corporate labor law matters.

•Preparation of Appeal Binders and pleadings.

•Responsible for Timekeeping and entering time into the Javelan program for my attorneys for billing purposes and preparing reports at the end of each month and invoicing clients for payment.

•Review of complaints, contracts, and other pertinent agreements for proofreading and final submission to the Courts, title agencies and other counsel.

•Heavy telephone conduct and interaction with clients, adversaries, Courts, insurance companies and experts.

•Extensive work done in matters of Construction Law, Corporate Law, Insurance Law and Environmental Litigation, Estate and Probate Law; PBAs, Non-Profit, Incorporation of Businesses, Matrimonial, Personal Injury, (Auto and Slip and Fall), Residential and Commercial Real Estate as well as Ethics matters.

•Legal Research and investigative law to gather necessary evidence for service upon defendants as well as other pertinent matters.

•Experienced and knowledgeable and contracts, bid proposals, grants an open request

LAW OFFICES OF RICHARD SIMON, P.C., Jun. 2003 to Aug. 2009

Paralegal - Assistant Office Manager

•Team leader of a team of 4 litigation staff members

•Promoted to HR Assistant - Served as a right hand to firm owner.

•Implementation of new materials for marketing and public relations for new business

•Worked heavily on personal injury matters; worker's comp cases; criminal, matrimonial, child custody matters, contracts, Wills, settlement conferences, misdemeanor cases and served as right hand to the owner and Sr. Partner of the firm. Successfully assisted in the settlment of case and obtained a 1.2 million dollar settlement in a personal injury case with brain injury to client. Also settleed other small claims cases of personal injury.

•Served as a translator for Spanish speaking clients.

LAW FIRM OF MICHAEL J. GRIMALDI, Jun. 2001 to Apr. 2003

Paralegal/Legal Assistant

EDUCATION

STRAYER UNIVERSITY, 2010-2013

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration; Business Analytics and Project Development

UNION COUNTY COLLEGE, Cranford, NJ 1987-1989

Associate degree in Business Administration; Law and Politics; English Major

HORIZONS PARALEGAL SCHOOL, Linden, NJ

Certification in Paralegal Studies

Certifications and Achievements:

Notary Public of the State of New Jersey; Certified Court Interpreter; Member of the National Association of Female Executives; New Jersey Statewide Hispanic Business Chamber of Commerce Member in Good Standing; Notary Public of the State of New Jersey; Member of the Middlesex County Legal Secretary's Association

Summary of Skills and Qualifications:

Amongst the multitude of different types of law cases I have worked on, the following are a summary of the various areas of law I have extensive working knowledge and experience in Personal Injury; Worker's Compensation; Matrimonial; Medical Malpractice; USDC cases, Superior Court matters, Municipal Court matters; i.e. traffic violations and citations; Family Law, i.e. Divorce, Guardian ad Litem matters; Child Custody; Estate matters; Wills; Corporate Law; Construction Law; Environmental Law; Insurance defense; Civil Rights; Appeals; Business Law and Non-Profit organization work, as well as PBA, FBA and Pro Bono matters. I have heavy experience in litigation of matters and the use of E-Courts for Superior Court filings, USDC filings and procedures, as well as research of the law in Westlaw.

Legal Research and Presentation:

Assisted attorneys in preparing for trials, hearings, and closings. Conducted legal research and gathering relevant information for various cases. Researching the facts of the case as well as identifying appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles relevant to the case. Gathered and analyzed information, obtained medical records, reports, investigation reports and records, ER visit and accident reports, prepared written reports/summaries for the attorneys to use to determine how the case should be handled. Prepared presentations for clients and attorneys.

Client Interviews:

Conducted initial client interviews and screenings for potential new clients, as well as met with existing clients. Obtained information about the legal problems of the client. Was in attendance in meetings with attorneys and observed questioning of clients and details of cases and took notes to prepare to conduct subsequent interviews with clients and witnesses. Located and interviewed witnesses, prepared memos summarizing the testimony for the attorney.

Drafting of Legal Documents:

Drafted legal documents, drafted correspondence, and pleadings, such as complaints, subpoenas, interrogatories, deposition notices, motions, Certifications, pretrial orders, and legal briefs with various parties. Prepared pleadings and exhibits to submit to the Court of appeals.

Office Administration Duties:

In addition to the above duties, I have also handled administrative tasks such as filing papers, answering telephone calls, photocopying, dictation, faxing, archiving, opening, and closing files and maintaining and organizing reference files and calendars. I also ran reports at the end of the month and kept expense reports and bookkeeping information on cases I worked on. I maintained the schedule for my 3 attorneys, heavy telephone interaction with clients, lawyers, witnesses, experts, and court personnel to schedule interviews, hearings, meetings, depositions, IME exams and trials. Also, handled any needed travel arrangements. I am experienced with Word, Outlook, Excel, Text Magic, Pacer, Power Point, Steno, electronic dictation, and old-style hand dictation. Among the programs I am familiar with are, Abacus, Needles, Javelan, and Plaintiff. I have been present with my attorneys at times in attending trials, depositions, will executions, residential and commercial real estate transactions, and court or administrative hearings.

Corporate Paralegal Duties:

As a corporate paralegal, I handled numerous varied documents for the shareholders. I worked under the supervision of three shareholders to the firm. I worked on many facets of the firm's workload, including, but not limited to, corporation inception, by-laws and minutes, business registration with the State of New Jersey, operational agreements, setting up of franchises, construction law matters, bids, proposals, non-profit organization matters and business incorporations. I worked on agreements, contractual law, insurance litigation matters, PBAs, commercial and residential real estate, foreclosures, Ethic Committee matters, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and many more other miscellaneous matters. I am a very well-organized person with the ability to multitask and complete all tasks assigned to me in a timely manner and meet my deadlines successfully.

Additional Skills:

Languages: English, Spanish, French, American Sign Language; Technical: Type 65 WPM; Steno and speedwriting; Microsoft Office, Word, WordPerfect, Libra Accounting System, Outlook, Microsoft Office Suite, QuickBooks; Quattro; Legal Research and Document Review Expert; Verdict Program and Internet Literate; File maintenance for case-loads and trial preparation; Evidence Research and preparation; Time and Billing experience; Translation Services, written and oral from English to Spanish and Spanish to English; Expertise in Javelan Legal Time keeping and accounting program; Plaintiff program, Needles program; Leap Legal Management Program, and Abacus Program, Executive Legal Secretary Experience; Proposal & Grant Writing, Drafting and Finalization of Operating Agreements and Contracts; Project Development and Coordinator Experience; Fundraising/Event Coordinator Experience; Research and Development; Experience with logistics and project analysis and budgeting; Preparing Budgets and reports for presentations; Research and Development; Paralegal experience and certification; Experience in Personal Injury litigation, matrimonial, civil and criminal matters, custody cases, business ventures and incorporations; Preparation of documents for closings for residential and commercial real estate; medical malpractice matters, Ethics Committee hearings; Appeals; Collections; drafting, review and finalization of contracts and operating agreements; Non-Profit Organization Skills; Community Affairs Field Rep. Experience. Community Development Field Research: Assessment of community needs and services; Negotiations/Mediator Experience; Education and Experience in Social Sciences; Translation services (oral and written); ESL Tutoring; Presentation, Preparation and Display for Meetings and Exhibits for Conventions and Networking Events.

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