Office Manager Accounts Payable

Melissa Welch

Little Falls, New Jersey Mobile: 973-***-**** ***.*****@****.***

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

M. Ross & Associates, LLC (IP/Corporate Law), Englewood Cliffs, NJ 2023 - Present

Office Manager/Paralegal

• Assist in all paralegal functions, i.e., trademarking, trademarking infringement, negotiating

settlements, mechanic lien filing and defense, forming business entities (LLC, LLP, S Corp., etc.) and

researching for negotiating outstanding issues to be resolved for all relevant cases.

• Assist attorneys in preparing and filing over 200 patents and trademark applications achieving a 95%

success rate.

•Skilled in conducting thorough legal research to support litigation and advisory services, decreasing

research time by 25%.

• Proficient in maintaining and managing IP portfolios for over 50 clients, enhancing client satisfaction

by 40%.

• Maintain accounts payable, administer payments through the firm's online banking, and input financial transactions in QuickBooks online and CLIO.

• Customize year-end reports, review/audit financials to identify contractors and prepare and file IRS forms 1099 and 1096 for multiple entities and gather data for submission to the outside tax accountant.

• Verify bi-monthly timesheets, input payroll (Paychex), maintain employment records; process employee benefits, invoices, process benefits deductions, garnishments, and withholdings, and transfer defer compensation to SEP accounts.

• Supervise attorneys and administrative staff, write and post job descriptions, recruit, hire, and onboard support staff.

• Negotiate equipment leases and sign off on multi-year contracts.

• Manage daily office operations.

• Administer Human Resources, including benefits and new hire onboarding.

• Maintain accounts payable, processed bank deposits, and reconciled bank statements, including master escrow and sub-accounts.

Ziegler Law Group (Family Law), Livingston, NJ 9/2022-12/2022

Paralegal to Managing Partner/Office Administrator

• Handled all screening of prospective clients as well as intake of all new clients.

• Prepared/finalized Complaint/Answers, CLIS, Insurance Certifications, Subpoenas, Answers to Interrogatories, Document Requests/Demands, Properly Settlement Agreements, Judgments of Divorce, Case Information Statements, and Child Support.

• Involved in all aspects of Litigation Support, including Legal Research, Factual Investigation, Asset Research, and Criminal History Research.

• Trained new staff members. • Handled all screening of prospective employee candidates.

Kozyra & Hartz (Family Law), Roseland, NJ 3/2022-9/2022

(Per Diem) Paralegal

•Prepared/finalized Complaint/Answers, CLIS, Insurance Certifications, Motions, Subpoenas, Answers to Interrogatories, Document Requests/Demands, Property Settlement Agreements, Judgments of Divorce, Case Information Statements, and Child Support Guidelines.

• Litigation support, including legal research.

Newsome O’Donnell (Family Law), Morristown, NJ 11/2021-3/2022

(Per Diem) Paralegal

• Prepared/finalized Complaint/Answers, CLIS, Insurance Certifications, Subpoenas, Motions, Answers to Interrogatories, Document Requests/Demands, Property Settlement Agreements, Judgments of Divorce, Case Information Statements, and Child Support Guidelines.

• Litigation support, including legal research.

Damiano Law Offices (Family Law), Little Falls, NJ 2015-/2021

Paralegal to Managing Partner/Office Administrator

• Served as liaison between opposing counsel, clients, court personnel, police departments, and pension appraisal companies.

• Prepared motions, including, but not limited to, drafting pleadings and preparing bullet points for oral argument.

• Prepared Complaint/Answers, CLIS, Insurance Certifications, Subpoenas, Answers to Interrogatories, Document Requests/Demands, Property Settlement Agreements, Judgments of Divorce, Case Information Statements, and Child Support Worksheets while maintaining the deadlines for same.

• Involved in all aspects of litigation support, including legal research, factual investigation, asset research, and criminal history research.

• Scheduled and maintained calendar and document management in Outlook/LEAP of hearings, appointments, depositions, four ways, mediation, and all deadlines.

• Worked on Restraining Order defense and family intervention with neglect/abuse and family services.

Collected over 80% of the outstanding fees owed to the firm yearly. • Collections for replenishments as well as outstanding balances and Fee Arbitration.

Bonner Trebach & Crociata, LLP (Insurance Defense), Parsippany, NJ 2014-2015

Legal Assistant/Paralegal

Abdelhadi & Associates, LLC (General Practice), Paterson, NJ 2013-2014

Paralegal

Law Office of Alan Rodetsky. LLC (RE/Corporate Law), East Orange, NJ 2010 – 2013

Paralegal/Office Manager

Durkin & Durkin, LLP (Insurance Defense), West Caldwell, NJ 2005 – 2010

Paralegal

Stern & Kilcullen, LLC (Corporate Law/White Collar Def.), Roseland, NJ 2002 – 2005

Paralegal

EDUCATION:

John Jay University NYC

●Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice NYC

●Certification in Paralegal Studies

The Professional Paralegal’s Mastery Course of Lexis Advance

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Expert Level: Microsoft Office, LEAP, WorldDox, Teams, Zoom, Quickbooks/QuickBooks Online, Law Pay, Scorpion Worldox, JEDS/E-courts, Lexis Nexis, Westlaw, Federal and State E-filing, Family Soft, CIS, Easy Soft, PC Law, Time Slips, Elite Webview, Time Matter, CLIO, Amicus, and Law Panther.

Notary Public

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