Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Emily Ernst

Kimberly,AL

Summary

Senior Legal Professional | Corporate & Legal Operations | Strategic Legal Support

Dynamic and resourceful legal expert with 15+ years of experience supporting corporate legal strategy, driving process improvement, and leading complex transactional, governance, and regulatory initiatives. Adept at managing multi-state compliance, streamlining workflows, and facilitating high-impact legal projects across M&A, real estate, tax, and estate planning. Trusted liaison between legal teams and business leadership.

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Corporate Tax Paralegal

Dentons Sirote PC
Birmingham
02.2022 - 06.2025

• Support 20+ attorneys across Corporate, Tax, and Estate Planning practices.

• Lead 20+ concurrent legal projects, including high-value M&A, governance, and entity formation for clients in all 50 states and Canada.

• Submitted 350+ FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Reports, ensuring accuracy under strict deadlines.

• Oversaw due diligence and documentation for multimillion-dollar real estate transactions.

• Developed and implemented compliance systems supporting 500+ business entities.

• Mentored junior paralegals and introduced workflow improvements boosting team efficiency.

Paralegal (Estate Planning & Probate)

Leitman, Siegal & Payne
Birmingham, AL
03.2017 - 02.2022

• Drafted wills, trusts, and power of attorney documents; supported HNW clients and attorneys.

• Coordinated complex probate cases, court filings, and asset transfers.

• Optimized case workflows and collaborated with tax advisors and CPAs.

The Dentons Law Firm LLC

Litigation Paralegal
Birmingham, AL
07.2016 - 03.2017

• Managed high-volume litigation caseloads, drafted legal pleadings and correspondence.

• Supported discovery, document review, and trial preparation in complex civil and defense matters.

Firm Administrator

Law Offices of John D. Saxon
Birmingham, AL
01.2015 - 12.2015

• Oversaw firm operations, vendor management, budgeting, and legal billing systems.

• Led process improvements, staff onboarding, and technology upgrades.

Paralegal & Office Manager

Law Office of Neil C. Clay
Bessemer, AL
05.2006 - 11.2013

• Managed full-spectrum legal support across family law, bankruptcy, criminal defense, and litigation.

• Oversaw firm operations, financial records, and client relationships.

• Drafted motions, discovery, court filings; conducted legal research and client intakes.

Education

Juris Doctor - Law

Birmingham School of Law
Birmingham, AL
12.2013

Skills

    Legal Operations & Project Management

    Entity Management & Corporate Governance

    Transactional Real Estate & M&A Support

    Financial & Estate Planning

    Legal Compliance & Risk Mitigation

    Legal Tech & Document Automation

    Cross-Functional Collaboration

    Drafting, Research & Contract Review

Timeline

Senior Corporate Tax Paralegal

Dentons Sirote PC
02.2022 - 06.2025

Paralegal (Estate Planning & Probate)

Leitman, Siegal & Payne
03.2017 - 02.2022

The Dentons Law Firm LLC

Litigation Paralegal
07.2016 - 03.2017

Firm Administrator

Law Offices of John D. Saxon
01.2015 - 12.2015

Paralegal & Office Manager

Law Office of Neil C. Clay
05.2006 - 11.2013

Juris Doctor - Law

Birmingham School of Law