Corporate Paralegal II – International Legal Affairs - Young Living Essential Oils, LC
(2021-10)
Corporate paralegal experienced in new market development, contracts, corporate governance, international markets; APAC, EMEA and South America. In addition, experienced with litigation, person injury, product liability, class actions, transaction, and real estate Law.
- Experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating a wide variety of commercial contracts, including NDAs, technology, vendor agreements, and marketing agreements.
- Manage agreements to prioritize, track, assign and monitor agreement status ensuring that deadlines are met, contracts are signed, filed, and internal and external counsel are involved as appropriate.
- Assist in drafting and prepare governance documents such as consents, resolutions, minutes, POAs, intercompany agreements, organizational charts, and formation documents.
- Maintain software home grown or potentially license third party solutions to build scalable, efficient processes for contract intake, processing important information such as expiration, key dates, and payments.
- Create and maintain reporting systems for communicating contract status and expense.
- Develop contract requests for proposal; prepare communications to contractors such as change of address, assignment, etc.
- Track outside counsel engagements for receipt of invoices, needed correction and payment.
- Proficient with Google docs, ContractWorks, Smartsheet, Adobe Pro, DocuSign and Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Current member of the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar and Notary Public
Paralegal Specialist – Asset Recovery & Money Laundering Division - United States Attorney's Office, District of Oregon
(2019-05 - 2021-06)
Support AUSA's prosecute the largest criminal drug case in Oregon history, U.S. v. Diaz, et al., with 43 defendants and 61 charges. Also assist in the Appellate Section preparing briefs to be filed with the Court of Appeals. Manage and maintain files for all forfeiture related cases both civil and criminal.
- Manage a portfolio of active federal criminal and civil cases
- Provided legal support and correspondence with various agencies; FBI, Homeland Security, ATF, DEA, USMS, and local police
- Performs specialized legal research in support of work assigned, including research and analysis of statutes, and both administrative and judicial procedures of forfeiture
- Initiate action to ensure that legal pleadings, forms, reports, correspondence, and other documents are filed in a timely manner
- Serves as contact person for assigned forfeiture litigation cases and provides information and assistance concerning status and relevant procedural issues
- Locating potential claimants, including use of computer software search tools, and then notifying all interested parties of ongoing case status
- Utilizing computer software skills for word processing and generation of spreadsheets; utilizing litigation support software such as CaseMap, Concordance, Sharepoint, CATS, CaseView, etc., for organizing evidence, analyzing discovery, and creating exhibits
Legal Assistant – Criminal and Appellate Divisions - United States Attorney's Office, District of Utah
(2014-08 - 2019-05)
Working in the Federal Prosecutors Office enhanced skills and legal knowledge in Violent Crimes and Appellate Sections. Received multiple awards including "Using initiative and creativity in making improvements in a product, activity, program and service", "Trial prep and bringing science into the courtroom", "Volunteering for an assignment working on behalf of The Civil Rights Division in the San Juan County Indian Reservation during the 2016 Presidential election." In addition, recognized for outstanding work compiling and drafting final versions of briefs in U.S. v. Johnson and U.S. v.
Riddle cases.
- Assist multiple prosecuting attorneys in executing new case files from indictment to judgment
- Preform docketing duties such as opening, updating, and closing cases through use of the automated case tracking system
- Provide assistance in trial prep: compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists
- Prepare and process legal documents and materials, researching case files, verifying legal citations, produce discovery for opposing counsel, and compile case information in specialized formats for trial presentations
- Compile, redact, eScanit importing, bates, exporting and organizing large amounts of ESI discovery for defense
- Perform documentation of on-going case status, drafting complaints, motions, orders, writs, answers, subpoenas and other legal documents
- Compose and edit legal briefs creating table of contents and table of authorities using Westlaw and LexisNexis
Paralegal – Litigation Specialist II Foreclosures - Bank of America - West Hills, CA
(2011-01 - 2014-03)
Bank of America (BOA) is a multinational investment bank and financial service company with a large legal department facilitating many areas of law. Worked in the foreclosure department during the 2008 financial crisis primarily managing a portfolio of Sub-Prime mortgages for homes and commercial property in default status. As a litigation specialist, was the liaison working with outside counsel to retain homes for BOA that were threatened to be lost to other litigants such as HOA contracts, 2nd liens, etc.
This work required years with enormous amounts of overtime and long hours of dedicated work and commitment.
- Responsible for overseeing litigation for a real estate portfolio, including retaining and/or managing local counsel on behalf of Bank of America for hundreds of their most troubled home loans
- Attend mediations and testify at court hearings, trials, and depositions on behalf of Bank of America
- Develop strategy with internal and external counsel to be used in court
- Prepare and draft legal documents such as responses to discovery and summaries of discovery responses
- Analyze settlement offers, including basis and merit of offer
- Analyze documents and records to determine case merit and assign monetary risk
- Report and discuss litigation on loans with senior management in monthly meetings
- Identify gaps in the foreclosure policy and procedure, making suggestions to correct breakdowns in the process
Paralegal Assistant – Product Liability - Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. - Phoenix, AZ
(2010-01 - 2010-04)
Snell & Wilmer is a large national law firm with many areas of legal expertise. Worked in the product liability team and healthcare fraud which primarily defended criminal allegations against corporate clients such as Allergan Inc., a Pharmaceutical Company. Team acted as the litigators of last resort in providing a successful outcome at trial.
- Assist in operational aspects of ongoing litigation in conjunction with Litigation Counsel, acting as a liaison to outside counsel and outside paralegals in managing case files and timelines
- Summarize, set up, and maintaining litigation files
- Set up the war room when going to trial and provide support to litigation team
- Review and summarize pleadings and deposition transcripts for attorney review and action
- Organize and maintain expert and fact witness files
- Review and extract specific requested information from case materials
Paralegal – Tax & Estate Planning - Callister Nebeker & McCullough, P.C. - SLC, UT
(2009-06 - 2009-12)
Callister Nebeker & McCullough is a local law firm specializing in Asset Protection and Tax & Estate planning. Supported legal counsel in processing all documents relating to these matters. Effectively created and managed client's case files with very time sensitive matters and detail-oriented work structures that met the needs of both counsel and client.
- Assist in tax, estate and business planning including the creation of wills and trusts, probate, creation of business entities, and asset protection strategies
- Prepare documentation in all phases of business organization law ranging from formation of corporations, limited liability companies, and operation to mergers and acquisitions
- Assist with the corporate governance of multiple legal entities including opening and dissolving companies, drafting resolutions, preparing government filings and maintaining corporate minutes
- Act as a liaison between internal and external legal counsel to provide documents required for transaction closings
- Gather information and documents for discovery responses
Legal Secretary – Domestic & Family Law - Scribner & McCandless, P.C. - Provo, UT
(2004-10 - 2005-08)
Scribner & McCandless is a local law firm specializing in Family and Domestic Law. Quickly recognized in bringing not only legal knowledge and education of this area of law, but maturity and patience to the cliental, as they experienced extremely high stress in their personal lives. Quickly gained the support of legal counsel in allowing discretion in meeting with clients to keep them informed about ongoing litigation and answer all questions regarding their case.
Successfully handled divorce and child custody disputes and protective and restraining orders in a professional manner needed for this position.
- Perform legal research, collected and analyzed data, and drafted legal documents
- Prepare and draft legal documents such as responses to discovery and summaries of discovery responses
- Assisted in trial preparation, including preparation of exhibits
- Prepared monthly litigation case status reports and quarterly case budget updates
