Rachel Shea-Pinkston
Atlanta,GA
Summary
20 Years of Paralegal Experience and a Senior Managing Paralegal for the last 16 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Miami I am a Certified Paralegal.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Paralegal
Forrest B. Johnson & Associates
04.2022 - 02.2023
- Scheduled and maintained calendar deadlines, hearings and meetings
- Drafted and prepared various pleadings, briefs, motions and correspondence for personal injury claims
- Legal research using Westlaw Next for the specific information required for the specific litigation
- Maintained client and corporate files
- Drafted settlement agreements and similar documentation
- Drafted deposition summaries, memos, case updates and settlement agreements/ release documents
- Filed via Peach Court, Odyssey, CM/ECF, Middle and Northern District of Georgia Middle District of Florida
- Assisted in witness preparation for meetings depositions, hearings as well as various meetings with experts, adjusters and even potentially opposing counsel and their client for mediation
- I also assisted in mediation as well as trial preparation.
Senior Paralegal
John B. Miller & Associates
02.2023 - Current
- Drafted and prepared various pleadings, briefs, motions and correspondence for homeowners who have HOA litigation claims, i.e., foreclosures of residents' homes, alleged unpaid dues, violations of HOA covenants and restrictions
- Legal research using Westlaw Next for specific claims and issues based on litigation
- Drafted memos based on research
- Filed pleadings via Peach Court and Odyssey
- Contact clients regarding status updates in preparation for hearings and settlement negotiations, meetings and mediation.
Paralegal
Robert Half
01.2019 - 01.2022
- My first contract assignment was a large insurance defense case that involved a wrongful death with a very large corporation
- The defendant was self-Insured
- I compiled and drafted all feedings, and make sure that they were in a well organized, pleading index, as well as being organized and computer for ease of access
- I drafted and bates stamped all documents compiled for responses to Requests for Production as well as materials used in Depositions with expert witnesses for the plaintiff, and the defendant
- It was also my responsibility to contemporaneously keep up with a current exhibit list so that we had it ready to go for trial and for disclosures, which were also due with our expert witness disclosures are exhibit lists
- I drafted the pretrial for the plaintiff to be submitted to the court prior to trial
- I drafted the jury instructions and scheduled and kept track of all of the depositions that we had and which were video depositions
- Also made sure that we have the originals so that if we need to submit them to the court they were in their proper format
- The case’s venue was the Northern District of Georgia
- It was imperative that I kept up with all pleadings and discovery responses, and kept them extremely organized because it was a very paper intensive case, and I needed to be able to access everything quickly and know where everything was for Attorney access, as well as just a time saving measure
- I Calendar and all the large pretrial order with deadlines from the judges, and made sure that everything was scheduled in the calendar properly
- We alternately had a very good result in this case
- In my second assignment I was charged with determining the status of each employee and employer's unemployment insurance and unemployment claims and circumstances
- In charge of contacting both parties to determine the circumstances of the separation
- Responsible for conducting a detailed investigation with both parties in order to ascertain the unemployment insurance benefits at the time of separation
- Most recently contract reviews of several employees working for a government entity in Georgia
- As well as several small corporations that required redlining of corporate documents and contracts as well as a review of and corrections to a variety of corporate record books.
Paralegal
Avant Partir
12.2020 - 06.2021
- I assisted with several small contract assignments off and on from, during the acquisition of two wine distribution companies.) Assisted with an additional acquisition of two smaller wine distributors in the Atlanta area and South Carolina
- Review of current companies' employee contracts
- Review of title work and closing documents for the potential purchase of real estate belonging to both corporations that will be absorbed as a part of the acquisition
- Forensic review of accounting and corporate record books
- Final review and redlined versions of all agreements sent to client's counsel for review and final approval.
Paralegal
Taylor English Duma LLP
02.2021 - 04.2021
- Drafted and edited stock certificates
- Assisted in drafting operating agreements and various corporate documents Assisted in commercial real estate files from inception to closing.Filed annual reports
- Maintained corporate record books
- Redlined and compared various corporate closing documents, including commercial real estate files
- Drafted audit response requests
- Assisted in changing corporations, drafting articles of incorporation and/ or other various types of incorporation documentation
- Drafted and monitored UCC 1 and UCC 3 financing statements
- Kept track of and entered my billable time in TABS
- Assisted with corporate closings and the preparation of closing documents.
Senior Paralegal
Hecht Walker, P.C
10.2019 - 11.2020
- Scheduled and maintained calendar deadlines, hearings and meetings
- Drafted and prepared various pleadings, briefs, motions and correspondence for various areas of the law including, medical malpractice insurance defense, slip and fall and various personal injury insurance defense, evictions, defamation of character, family law Including several contentious divorce matters, bankruptcy, probate, corporate law as well as many other types of litigation based on our long-term client's requirements or needs at any given time
- Legal research using Westlaw Next for the specific information required for the specific litigation
- Maintained client and corporate files
- Drafted annual corporate registrations and updated officers and/or corporation changes as well as UCC filings and judgements with the Secretary of State
- Drafted and edited commercial real estate and transactional business documents, settlement agreements and similar documentation
- Drafted deposition summaries, memos, case updates and settlement agreements/ release documents
- Filed via Peach Court, Odyssey, CM/ECF, Middle and Northern District of Georgia and Georgia Bankruptcy Court
- Assisted in witness preparation for 341 meetings depositions, hearings as well as various meetings with experts, adjusters and even potentially opposing counsel and their client for mediation
- I also assisted in mediation as well as trial preparation as I attended trial and mediation with most of the attorneys in the office.
Senior Paralegal
Mateer & Harbert, P.A
03.2008 - 09.2016
- Drafted pleadings, briefs, motions and correspondence for various areas of the law including, medical malpractice insurance defense, evictions, immigration, foreign adoptions, family law which included several contentious divorce matters that went on for many years while I was there, bankruptcy, probate, corporate law, foreclosures, complex construction law as well as many other types of litigation based on our long-term client's requirements or needs at any given time
- Maintained 25 to 50 family law and probate cases
- Maintained 30 to 40 foreclosure and bankruptcy files with an emphasis on creditor's rights
- Maintained 50 to 60 medical malpractice insurance defense files
- Scheduled depositions with witnesses and doctors
- Maintained contact with client and physician
- Updated medical chronologies and drafted settlement agreement and release documentation
- Reviewed medical records, insurance policies and dec
- Sheets
- Maintained 40 to 50 corporate record books
- Drafted annual corporate registrations and updated officers and/or corporation changes as well as UCC filings and judgements with the Secretary of State
- Drafted and edited stock certificates, commercial real estate and transactional business documents, settlement agreements, etc
- In redline and in final format
- Drafted all closing materials and ordered title reports for all commercial real estate files from inception to closing
- Assisted clients in gathering bankruptcy documentation for application for means test
- Legal research based on litigation or contract disputes
- Filed in Federal Court (Southern and Middle and District and Bankruptcy Court) via CM/ECF and in Circuit and County Courts through the E-Portal
- Updated medical chronologies and drafted settlement agreement and release documentation
- Reviewed medical records, insurance policies and dec
- Sheets
- Maintained 40 to 50 corporate record books
- Drafted annual corporate registrations and updated officers and/or corporation changes as well as UCC filings and judgements with the Secretary of State Drafted and edited stock certificates, commercial real estate and transactional business documents, settlement agreements, etc
- In redline and in final format
- Drafted all closing materials and ordered title reports for all commercial real estate files from inception to closing
- Assisted clients in gathering bankruptcy documentation for application for means test
- Research projects based on litigation or contract disputes
- Filed in Federal Court (Southern and Middle and District and Bankruptcy Court) via CM/ECF and in Circuit and County Courts through the E-Portal.
Legal Assistant/Paralegal
10.2003 - 02.2008
- Filed indictments
- Calendared dockets for multiple attorneys
- Communicated with the victim's families and kept them informed of trial dates and hearings
- Prepared jury instructions
- Prepared various pleadings and discovery
- Prepared for Trial and created multiple types of visual and demonstration materials to be used as aids for members of the jury.
Education
Bachelor’s Degree - Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
University of Miami
Skills
- Transcript Preparation
- Legal Compliance
- Corporate Law
- Meeting Preparation
- Conflict Mediation
- Schedule Coordination
- Data Repositories
- Customer Relationship Management
- Witness Testimony
- Troubleshooting Complex Problems
- Intake Services
- Work Assignments
- Prospecting Clients
- Exhibit Organization
- Strong Research Skills
- Data Collection
- Tax Expertise
- Review of Motions
- Commercial Litigation
- Team Oriented
- Case File Preparation
- Negotiation
- Project Organization
- Tax Laws
- File and Records Management
- Document Statements
- Client Correspondence
- Court Hearings
- Identifying Client Goals
- Federal Guidelines
- Deposition and Trial Assistance
- Motions Drafting
- Key Relationships
- Document Control Support
- Online Databases
- Drafting Correspondence
- Managing Case Files
- IRS Filings
- Expense Reports
- Postage Meter
- Criminal Law
- Excel Spreadsheets
- Subpoena Coordination
- Credit Disputes
- Overseeing Interns
- Schedule Management
- Medication Trials
- Legal Jargon Knowledge
- Exhibit Preparation
- Evidence Gathering
- Account Administration
- File Indexing
- UCC Filings
- Estate Tax Returns
- Legal Research
- Reading Comprehension
- Document Flow Coordination
- Proofreading
- Oral Arguments
- Legal Case Files
- Electronic Discovery
- Trial Proceedings
- Jury Selection
- Financial and Estate Planning
- Office Administration
- Affidavit Preparation
- Microsoft Applications
- Material Preparation
- Motion Preparation
- Court Transcription
- Software Process Management
- Administrative Support
- Risk Management
- Marketing Strategies
- Project Management
- Project Management Process
- Civil Litigation
- Brief Development
- Legal Correspondence Preparation
- Documenting
- Preparing Memoranda
- Foreclosure Preparations
- Spreadsheet Development
- Legal Document Reviewing
- Proficiency in MS Office
- Drafting Legal Documents
- Special Projects
- Case Summaries
- Legal and Court Processes
- Expertise in Legal Proceedings
- Legal Precedent
- Client Support
- Marital Settlement Agreements
- Report Generation
- Healthcare Terminology
- Team Oversight
- Litigation Support
- Electronic Filing System Organization
- Case Management
- Employee Development
Accomplishments
- Selected to lead a team to analyze documents for high profile congressional investigation, resulting in a commendation for dealing tactfully with confidential information.
- Maintained more than Number files, while tracking and managing filing service for up to Number files per day.
- Supported Number high profile criminal defense attorneys.
- Promoted to Senior Paralegal after Number years of employment.
- Managed more than Number client cases per week.
- Documented and resolved Issue which led to Results.
- Achieved Result by completing Task with accuracy and efficiency.
- Collaborated with team of Number in the development of Project name.
- Achieved Result through effectively helping with Task.
- Achieved Result by introducing Software for Type tasks.
- Resolved product issue through consumer testing.
- Supervised team of Number staff members.
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
Affiliations
- Rotary International
- Society of Human Resource Management
- Project Management Institute
- International Association of Administrative Professionals
Certification
During the pandemic, I mostly did contract work because I was I was homeschooling three children and I was also trying to work as my fiancé is an executive chef and sits on the board of the nonprofit where he works. It made sense at the time, but I am looking for a law firm home to make my last job and really find a place that is a healthy and productive work environment with like minded coworkers. I am a team player and you will never hear something is not my job because I am happy to do anything to help the team.
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Paralegal
John B. Miller & Associates
02.2023 - Current
Paralegal
Forrest B. Johnson & Associates
04.2022 - 02.2023
Paralegal
Taylor English Duma LLP
02.2021 - 04.2021
Paralegal
Avant Partir
12.2020 - 06.2021
Senior Paralegal
Hecht Walker, P.C
10.2019 - 11.2020
Paralegal
Robert Half
01.2019 - 01.2022
Senior Paralegal
Mateer & Harbert, P.A
03.2008 - 09.2016
Legal Assistant/Paralegal
10.2003 - 02.2008
Bachelor’s Degree - Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
University of Miami
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