Associate attorney in civil litigation and appellate work.

Associate attorney in business and commercial litigation representing a variety of clients in civil lawsuits, including breach of contract, debt collection, appellate work and transactional disputes. I represent clients at all phases of the litigation process and provide counsel and guidance to assist clients in finding satisfactory resolutions to disputes.

Member of the teaching staff of Southern Methodist University's Paralegal Certification Program through the Continuing and Professional Education Program of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. I teach Contracts and Torts to classes of 30 or more students seeking to enter the legal field as paralegals.

Attorney in the Litigation section, Consumer Financial Services practice group, handling a wide array of consumer and commercial finance litigation, contract disputes, fraud claims, and personal injury defense in both a primary and support role. Assisted extensively in a 50-state research and audit project to examine the laws and procedures required to ensure valid execution of affidavits and powers of attorney in mortgage foreclosure cases.Prepared numerous petitions and complaints, answers, motions, responses to motions, and pretrial documents for filing with courts.Supervised paralegal and legal secretaries.Represented clients in court proceedings from initiation of a lawsuit up to trial, in both state and federal court, with particular emphasis on discovery motions and summary judgment.Conducted significant research into extensive legal questions covering both Texas, federal and foreign state law.Assisted extensively in the research, drafting and submission of appellate briefs to both the Texas Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals. Attended mediation on behalf of a wide range of clients, successfully settling more than 90% of such cases.Prepared and responded to discovery, including the taking of depositions of both lay and expert witnesses, and defending same. Extensively interacted with clients throughout the litigation process, providing counsel, advice, updates, and recommendations.

Supported a group of six attorneys in the Intellectual Property section. Managed case files in excess of 400,000 pages with more than 100 hours of deposition testimony. Supervised a staff of six paralegals in an extensive litigation document review involving more than 50,000 documents.Assisted in preparation for hearings, trials and depositions.Prepared motions and supporting documentation for filing in federal court. Proofread and cite-checked briefs and memorandums. Researched detailed legal questions and prepared memoranda analyzing same. Assisted in writing, proofreading and submission of federal appellate briefs. Maintained the section calendar. Worked with local counsel and court clerks. Received extremely positive feedback and performance appraisals.