JESSICA NICOLE PREAST
*** ********* *****, **********, ** 25302 304-***-**** *******.******@*****.***
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.