JESSICA NICOLE PREAST

*** ********* *****, **********, ** 25302 304-***-**** adyuxa@r.postjobfree.com

PARALEGAL

Experienced Paralegal with excellent office management and client relation skills seeking a position within a legal department with a working knowledge of legal terminology, general law, and legal proceedings pertaining to the following case types will be fully utilized and expanded:

Real Estate…Business Litigation…Corporation…Criminal…Office Manager

Detailed-oriented with excellent research, investigative, and reporting skills

Exercise independent judgment and decision-making abilities, and a high level of confidentiality uphold the ethical standards of the legal profession

Office 2007 and above, LEXIS/NEXIS/ADVANCE, Lotus Notes, Outlook,

DOCS, Workbrain Time Reporter, Intapp Time and DTE

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Paralegal, Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC, Charleston, WV 02/11-present

Organized and managed caseload for three (3) Real Property/Business Attorneys

Primary point of contact for all incoming calls and contact for collection work, as well as incoming client calls. Able to resolve 80% of incoming questions, problems, and issues without senior partner intervention.

Draft and edit Purchase and Sale Agreements for residential and commercial clients

Coordinate due diligence items with respect to closings

Draft legal documents in Microsoft Word for multiple court districts and convert the document to a pdf format and file electronically

Draft notice of default for Commercial Landlord clients and manage eviction process, where necessary

Review title examination notes and summary for compilation of title opinions

Schedule and monitor Scheduling Orders for both state and federal court litigation

Coordinate discovery submissions and responses in documentary form

Draft and coordinate service of subpoenas and schedules depositions and/or site-visits for litigation

Communicate with the client, outside attorneys or potential asset purchasers through both written correspondence and electronic correspondence via Microsoft Outlook to handle and resolve various issues involving project management

Assist and communicate directly with clients and buyers of Collections/Foreclosures

Draft legal foreclosure documents in Microsoft Word and assist attorney at foreclosure and/or project asset sales

Perform case docket review in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in multiple districts and nationwide and analyze the information obtained

Collection of due diligence consisting of UCC searches, filings, articles, and other documents with the Secretary of State(s) requested through Microsoft Groupwise. Filing of formation and other business documents with appropriate agencies

Draft various motions and completes discovery requests, as required

Edit and coordinate execution settlement and release agreements

Coordinate attorney and staff schedules, and that of clients, when necessary

Manage and organize case files for ongoing work and ultimate closure and storage

Work with various spreadsheets

Provide support to other practice areas where client’s interests is involved in bankruptcy through review of court dockets, pleadings, filings and monitoring of case

Managed Time Matters and billing information

Keep attorney calendars up to date

Provide support to other practice areas through ECMF court filings and other bankruptcy court related transactions.

Paralegal, NiSource Corporate Services, Charleston, WV 08/06-01/10

Report directly to attorneys with broad ranged responsibilities that encompass the timely and complex preparation of cases from discovery to trail phase

Coordinate multifaceted office functions encompassing court calendar

Perform computerized and law library research on Lexis Nexis to obtain and gather current statutory prescriptions and case-relevant data and materials

Schedule and monitor Scheduling Orders for both state and federal court litigation

Coordinate discovery submissions and responses in documentary form

Draft and coordinate service of subpoenas and schedule depositions and/or site-visits for litigation

Provided support with E-Discovery and Legal Hold to make sure all requirements were fully met.

Assisted with NGT&S growth projects such as Crawford, Hardy and Eastern Market Expansion.

Prepare and issue Bonds

Management, retainment of court reporters, and scheduling of conference rooms for deposition proceedings

Liaison between attorneys, clients, insurance carriers, law firms, and government agencies

Ensure open lines of communication and satisfaction of deadlines through execution of dated correspondence

Prepare content-specific case files for attorneys reflecting supporting forms, documentation, and photographs to use during client presentation, and index/cross-reference network database information

Paralegal, Minear & Associates, L.C., Charleston, WV 05/04-08/06

Organize and manage caseload for Real Property/Business Attorney

Draft and edit Purchase and Sale Agreements for residential and commercial clients

Coordinate closing schedules and due diligence items with respect thereto but not limited to: Seller’s Affidavits; Payoff Requests, Settlement Statements, Conveyance Documents and Lender Authorization Requests

Draft Notice of Default for Commercial Landlord clients and manage eviction process, where necessary

Coordinate Review title examination notes and summary for compilation of title opinions

Obtain Title Insurance and Escrow Accounts for closings, when required

Perform computerized and law library research on Lexis Nexis to obtain and gather current statutory prescriptions and case-relevant data and materials and research current public real property tax maps and locator

Draft various motion and complete discovery requests, as required

Edit and coordinate execution settlement and release agreements

Coordinate attorney and staff schedules, and that of clients, when necessary

Manage and organize case files for ongoing work and ultimate closure and storage

Provided extensive clerical support for office, including billing, data entry, and filing;

Trained and supervised Interns within the firm

Have handled multiple assignments under high pressure and consistently meet tight deadlines

Schedule and monitor Scheduling Orders for both state and federal court litigation

Coordinate discovery submissions and responses in documentary form

Draft and coordinate service of subpoenas and schedule depositions and/or site-visits for litigation

Management, retainment of court reporters, and scheduling of conference rooms for deposition proceedings

Liaison between attorney, clients, insurance carriers, law firms, and government agencies

Ensure open lines of communication and satisfaction of deadlines through execution of dated correspondence

Prepare content-specific case files for attorneys reflecting supporting forms, documentation, and photographs to use during client presentation, and index/cross-reference network database information

Legal Assistant, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Charleston, WV 01/01-05/04

Organized and managed caseload for three (3) Real Property/Business Attorneys

Assisted four (4) other staff members with Real Property closings and related issues doing all levels of work where needed with more than 500 closings in 2003 alone

Draft and edit Purchase and Sale Agreements for residential and commercial clients

Coordinate due diligence items with respect to closings

Draft notice of default for Commercial Landlord clients and manage eviction process, where necessary

Review title examination notes and summary for compilation of title opinions

Schedule and monitor Scheduling Orders for both state and federal court litigation

Coordinate discovery submissions and responses in documentary form

Draft and coordinate service of subpoenas and schedules depositions and/or site-visits for litigation

Draft various motions and completes discovery requests, as required

Edit and coordinate execution settlement and release agreements

Coordinate attorney and staff schedules, and that of clients, when necessary

Manage and organize case files for ongoing work and ultimate closure and storage

Work with various spreadsheets

Managed Time Matters and billing information

EDUCATION

GLENVILLE STATE COLLEGE, 200 High Street, Glenville, WV 26351

Currently working on Regents Bachelor of Arts Program

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

405 Fayette Pike, Montgomery, WV 25136

Graduation Date: May 2001

A.S. Office Administration with Legal Emphasis

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Completed 8 hour “Annual Meeting and Seminar “An Educational Presentation for Paralegals and Attorneys” – West Virginia Associations of Paralegals, Inc., Charleston, WV – May 2006

Completed 8 hour “Microsoft Office PowerPoint” class, Columbia Gas, Charleston, WV – August 2006

Completed 8 hour “Microsoft Office Excel” class, Columbia Gas, Charleston, WV – August 2006

Completed 5 hour “Paralegal Certificate of Mastery Program”, Columbia Gas, Charleston, WV – December 2006

Completed 18 hour “Fundamental of Petroleum” class, Desk and Derricks Club, Charleston, WV – October 2007- August 2008.

Instructor for “Business of Supervising” teaching Legal Communications, Merrillville, IN – July 29-30, 2008.

Instructor for “Business of Supervising” teaching Legal Communications, Columbus, OH – November 12-13, 2008.

Instructor for “Business of Supervising” teaching Legal Communications, Cannonsburg, PA – June 3-4, 2009.

Contact this candidate