Senior Litigation Counsel/Civil Litigation, 09/XXX0 to Current Cushman & Wakefield – Markham, IL,
Providing legal counsel for first and third-party insurance defense matters, regulatory matters, and coverage issues.
Handles defenses for XXXmercial lines and No Fault defenses for personal lines; automobiles and Homeowners.
Participates in the development and interpretation of policies.
Collaborates with and oversee matters handled by outside counsel in over 150 cases.
Negotiates settlement of cases through mediation, stipulation, arbitration and motion practice resulting in savings to the client of an estimated $750,000-$1million annually.
Studies all aspects of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
Manages all in house litigation matters from initial pleading through appeal as needed.
Conducting 15-20 first chair civil trials annually to verdict, court appearances, drafting legal pleading and briefs, conducting examinations under oaths, non expert and expert depositions, and maintenance of individual litigation files.
Selecting jurors, and meeting judges during the course of a trial.
Extensive arbitration and motion practice in the areas of insurance defense and personal injury.
Knowledge of orthopedic, neurological and traumatic injuries.
Supervises junior attorneys and staff in their trial preparation and development.
Civil Arbitrator, 05/2009 to Current Panasonic Corporation Of North America – Sacramento, CA,
Arbitrating active cases, by making determinations of liability and damages for attorneys and litigants who are participating in Court mandatory early dispute resolution, resulting in 20-30% reduction in backlog.
Initiating dialog between all parties involved in the case.
Explaining the legal process to each client and answering questions to help ease concerns.
Senior Counsel, 05/1998 to 06/XXX0 TRAVELERS – City, STATE,
Provided legal counsel for first and third-party insurance defense matters, XXXpliance, regulatory matters, and coverage issues for Travelers, Travelers of New Jersey, First Trenton Indemnity Company and their subsidiaries.
Handled defenses for construction, XXXmercial lines and No Fault defenses for personal lines; automobiles and Homeowners.
Evaluated data involving assets, inXXXe, liabilities, expenditures and surpluses assisted with preventing over an estimated $400,000 in overcharges.
Managed relationships and processes for regulatory audit investigations including providing detailed documentation and due diligence materials.
Ensured total XXXpliance with federal guidelines and standards outlined in the USA Patriot Act to minimize systemic risk.
Managed regulatory relations and coordinated regulatory examination procedures in accordance with corporate policy and federal guidelines.
Directed due diligence reviews and delivered corporate responses to government regulatory inquires.
Defended over 100 first and third-party insurance claims for construction, XXXmercial and personal lines annually.
Developed detailed litigation strategies for 100-150 cases annually.
Offered extensive case status explanations to each client.
Conceptualized and coordinated bi-yearly "in house" as well as court settlement days resulting in savings to the client of an estimated $750,000-$2million annually.
Supervised, facilitated and conducted 3-4 training sessions for claim adjusters, management and staff annually on the trends in the law, No-Fault, medical procedures, and billing.
Conducted 10-15 first chair civil trials to verdict annually.
Appeared and argued before the Appellate Court.
Mediated civil cases, conducted non-expert and expert witness depositions, and maintained individual litigation files.
Appeared for status conferences and settlement conferences.
Strategically cross-examined witnesses in court.
Supervised trial team in their performance, work flow, trial preparation and development.
Conducted all phases of Civil litigation.
Attorney, 05/1995 to 05/1998 CITY OF JERSEY CITY CORPORATION COUNSEL – City, STATE,
Advised and addressed the legal concerns presented by the Mayor, City Council members, Corporation Counsel, and constituents.
Advised the Mayor and City Council on the legal implications of policy initiatives, XXXpliance, risk management and addressed strategic issues of public policy.
Managed and implemented legal XXXpliance and regulatory affairs. Maintained relationships with federal regulatory, State governmental, and law enforcement agencies. Outlined legal XXXpliance escalation and reporting procedures, documentation, and training materials utilized Citywide.
Analyzed data to test XXXpliance with all legal reporting regulations.
Negotiated labor contracts.
Initiated affirmative environmental claims against polluters.
Provided advisory opinions on XXXpliance with state and federal laws, regulations, rules, and municipal codes as well as organized and conducted legal research, prepared legal memorandum and appellant and summary judgment briefs, and drafted City Resolutions.
Conducted and defended the City in all phases of litigation, in areas from Civil Rights to tort claims.
Winter Associate, 1995 to 05/1995 WINKLER, BEVACQUA & SIMMONS, P.C – City, STATE,
Assisted with all phases of civil and XXXmercial
litigation.
Drafted and reviewed service contracts for priority corporate
clients.
Negotiated license agreements and retention contracts and prepared
detailed legal opinions. Contributed business consulting and transactional
expertise.
Drafted entertainment service contracts, real estate transaction agreements including sale and leaseback agreements.
Prepared bankruptcy petitions and criminal pleadings, including motions and Orders to Show Causes.
Prepared trial and appellant briefs.
Pro Bono Law Clerk, 1995 to 05/1995 NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE – City, STATE,
Assisted in the initial investigation of LAD and FMLA discrimination claims.
Aided with the preparation of verified XXXplaints for filing with the DCR.
Managed and performed legal research and writing, in addition to preparing trial and appellant briefs.
Education
Juris Doctorate: , Expected in 1996 Seton Hall University School of Law - Newark, NJ GPA:
Activities: American Trial Lawyers Association, Women's Law Forum, Appellant Moot Court Competition Finalist.
BACHELOR OF ARTS: POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS, Expected in 1993 Drew University - Madison, NJ GPA: Academic Scroll of Merit, Golden Award in Statistics, Presidential Academic Fitness Award, Rotary International,
Dean's List.
Dean's List, Advisory Board to Dean's Council, Co-Chair of Academic Forum Committee, Chair-Woman of Epsilon Omega Phi Honor Society, Golden Award in Statistics, Academic Scroll of Merit, Rotary International, Student Government Association , Studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan.
BAR ADMISSION: New Jersey and United States District Court of New Jersey
Accomplishments
Appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court's Committee on Complementary Dispute Resolution for the XXX1-XXX5 terms
Appointed to the Board of Directors for the Garden State Bar Association for the XXX2-XXX5 terms
Appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court's Ethics Committee on Fee Arbitration for the 2009-XXX3 terms
Appointed to the New Jersey State Bar Association's Diversity Committee
Published articles of successful trials reported in Verdict Search and the New Jersey Law Journal.
Personal Interests
Mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2008
Featured on the Lifetime Television Network celebrating Extraordinary Women in 2002
Professional Affiliations
New Jersey State Bar Association
New Jersey State Bar Associations Women in the Profession Committee
Resumes, and other information uploaded or provided by the user, are considered User Content governed by our Terms & Conditions. As such, it is not owned by us, and it is the user who retains ownership over such content.
How this resume score could be improved?
Many factors go into creating a strong resume. Here are a few tweaks that could improve the score of this resume:
