Tonya L. Shanz
Hellner Brandt, PLLC
Mesquite,TX
11
years of professional experience
Detail-oriented Office Administrator/Sr. Legal Assistant with in-depth knowledge of administrative and court procedures. Skilled in communicating complex, confidential issues to clients and legal entities. Committed to leveraging organizational expertise to drive efficiency and support organizational growth.
Work History
Office Administrator/Sr. Legal Assistant
1 Year 1 Month- Office Administrator of Dallas Office for Nationwide firm
- Assist Managing Partner, Partner, Sr. Counsel and two Associates in Construction, Employment and Insurance Defense practice.
- Coordinated legal case files for easy access and retrieval, managing and updating legal case files and documents.
- Organizing, managing and updating legal case files and documents.
- Managed office operations and coordination for efficient workflow. of Dallas Office for Nationwide firm
- Hired, trained, and supervised paralegals, legal assistants, administrative assistants, and other support personnel.
- Oversaw billing and accounting processes to maintain accurate financial records and support office operations.
- Handling of human resources tasks such as hiring, training, and evaluating staff.
- Led administrative staff to ensure effective task completion. administrative staff and divide responsibilities to ensure performance.
- Oversee daily office operations and workflow to maintain efficiency and productivity
Office Administrator/Legal Assistant
2 Years 9 Months- Assisted Managing Partner, Partner, Sr. Counsel and two Associates in Construction Law, Employment Law and Insurance Defense practice.
- Organized and maintained legal files, managed calendars, scheduled appointments, court dates, and meetings, ensuring timely filing of legal documents to support case management.
- Organized and maintained legal case files and documents to ensure easy access and retrieval.
- Assisted in the preparation of legal documents and reports.
- Office Administrator of Dallas Office for Nationwide firm
- Hired, trained, and supervised paralegals, legal assistants, administrative assistants, and other support personnel.
- Overseeing the billing and accounting processes.
- Monitored compliance with law office procedures and policies.
- Handling human resources tasks such as hiring, training, and evaluating staff.
- Supervise administrative staff and divide responsibilities to ensure performance.
- Oversaw daily office operations and workflow, optimizing processes to maintain overall efficiency.
- Coordinated office operations to ensure efficiency and compliance with organizational policies.
- Developed and maintained filing systems to improve document retrieval and organization.
- Managed scheduling and logistics for meetings, enhancing communication across departments.
- Assisted in budget tracking and expense reporting, contributing to financial accuracy.
- Streamlined office procedures through the implementation of new software tools, boosting productivity.
- Trained new staff on administrative processes, fostering a collaborative work environment.
Legal Assistant
5 Years 1 Month- Supported Partner, Shareholder, two Associates, and Paralegal in Construction Law, Life Sciences, and Insurance Defense practice by facilitating communication and document flow.
- Assist with preparation and completion of pleadings, documents for hearings, discovery production and depositions.
- Drafting of pleadings and discovery.
- Assisted with preparation and completion of pleadings and documents for hearings.
- Coordinated scheduling of court hearings, meetings, depositions, and mediations to ensure timely legal proceedings.
- Preparation of trial and hearing notebooks along with courtesy copies for the Judge pursuant to local rules of the Court.
- Prepare all legal documents to be electronically filed with the Court, pursuant to local rules, including State and Federal Court.
- Monitor Court’s docket on pending cases.
- Maintaining electronic records management system for incoming and outgoing mail.
- Prepare all travel arrangements for Partner.
- Handle all appeals on billing matters.
- Performed extensive transcription of legal documents to ensure accuracy and clarity.
- Drafted legal documents, including pleadings and discovery, ensuring compliance with procedural requirements.
- Coordinated schedules for attorneys, optimizing time management and prioritization of tasks.
- Communicated effectively with clients, providing updates and addressing inquiries promptly.
- Maintained strict confidentiality, protecting sensitive client information as required by legal ethics and regulations.
Legal Assistant
11 Months- Assisted Sr. Partner, Jr. Partner and two Associates in Construction Law, Transactional Law and Insurance Defense practice.
- Drafted and prepared notices and liens to General Contractors and Owners on construction projects.
- Drafted and prepared notices and liens for General Contractors and Owners, facilitating compliance in construction projects.
- Assist with preparation and completion of pleadings, documents for hearings, discovery production and depositions.
- Prepared all legal documents to be filed electronically filed with the Court, pursuant to local rules, including State and Federal Court.
- Prepared trial and hearing notebooks along with courtesy copies for the Judge pursuant to local rules of the Court.
- Assisted with preparation and completion of pleadings and documents for hearings.
- Guided clients in answering and finalizing discovery responses, enhancing clarity and completeness of submissions.
- Prepared all legal documents to be filed electronically with the Court, pursuant to local rules, including State and Federal Court.
- Compiled trial and hearing notebooks with courtesy copies for the Judge, ensuring adherence to local court rules.
- Typing/drafting, formatting, correspondence and legal documents.
- Performed extensive transcription of legal documents to ensure accuracy and clarity.
- Coordinated schedules for attorneys, optimizing time management and prioritization of tasks.
- Drafted legal documents, including pleadings and contracts, ensuring compliance with procedural requirements.
- Managed case files and maintained organized records for efficient retrieval and review.
Paralegal
2 Months- Prepared pleadings and discovery.
- Opened client files and entered information into case management and billing databases to ensure accurate record-keeping.
- Assisted clients with answering and finalizing discovery responses.
- Drafted and finalized pleadings and discovery documents to support legal proceedings.
- Opened new client files and entered pertinent information into proper case management and billing databases.
- Coordinated preparation and completion of pleadings, hearing documents, discovery production, and depositions to streamline case management.
- Entered/monitored billable and non-billable hours in TimeSlips.
- Completed contract work for legal practice
- Coordinated communication between clients, witnesses, and court officials to streamline processes.
- Facilitated discovery processes by managing requests and compiling relevant documentation.
Paralegal
9 Months- Assisted managing partner in Personal Injury Law.
- Opened new client files and entered pertinent information into case management and billing databases to facilitate accurate record-keeping.
- Assisted clients on all aspects of their case.
- Secured medical reduction requests with medical providers and group health carriers to optimize client case outcomes.
- Interacted with insurance adjusters, clients, medical providers, and group health carriers throughout the client's case lifecycle.
- Verified insurance on third-party, UIM/UM and PIP coverage at the inception of the file.
- Handled and secured medical reduction requests with medical providers and group health carriers.
- Secure any possible liens which may have been filed against client.
- Implementing new office policies and procedures.
- Assisted in hiring and training new personnel.
- Provided legal support on a contract basis
Skills
Legal experience
Litigation expertise
Proficient in electronic filings in state and federal court.
Filing requirements knowledge
Billing Management
Proficient in iManage
Microsoft 365
Microsoft Outlook
WordPerfect
SharePoint
Clio
ShareFile
FileSite
Time Slips
TimeMatters
Abacus
Coyote
Juris
eCase
and DocsOpen.
Workflow coordination
Written Communication
Transcription
Interdepartmental Coordination
Client Relationship Management
Legal Compliance Oversight
Human resources management
Affiliations
Notary Public for the State of Texas
Timeline
Office Administrator/Sr. Legal Assistant
Hellner Brandt, PLLC
07.2025 - CurrentRead More
Office Administrator/Legal Assistant
Wood Smith Henning & Berman, LLC
10.2022 - 07.2025Read More
Legal Assistant
Macdonald Devin Madden Kenefick & Harris, P.C.
09.2017 - 10.2022Read More
Legal Assistant
Cutler-Smith, P.C.
10.2016 - 09.2017Read More
Paralegal
Law Office of Jerome Neal Stein
08.2016 - 10.2016Read More
Paralegal
Mullen & Mullen Law Firm
11.2015 - 08.2016Read More