Christopher Pendergrass, Cp Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Developing Pender-Paralegal Services, LLC was perhaps the biggest risk and most exciting endeavor of my professional career. I organized the company due to my love for helping attorneys solve their client’s legal issues and to broaden my involvement in different areas of law that I had interest in. The company meets the economic needs of many law offices, especially, solo practitioners, who do not require a full-time legal assistant. Pender-Paralegal Services offers a cost-effective solution to attorneys. Attorneys utilize my services on an as-needed basis and bill their clients for the billable work under paralegal fees. As a result, attorneys save money on labor costs and their clients save money on legal fees. The benefits are communal. Working with attorneys, as an independent paralegal, has allowed me to enhance my research and critical thinking skills, provided me with variety and opportunities to learn new areas of law, and most importantly, placed me in a position to work with their clients and find solutions to their legal matters. My objective is to continue to network with attorneys and demonstrate how utilizing my service is a win-win for everyone in terms of cost-effectiveness and client-satisfying performances and work products.

I am amazed of how much I have learned and advanced as a paralegal at Robert A. Ades and Associates, P.C. I am most honored to be assisting labor union members working in the District of Columbia with their legal needs ranging from preparing and filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions using BestCase, drafting Deeds, Wills, Testamentary Trusts, Power of Attorney, and Advance Directive documents. I assist the attorneys by completing client intakes, gathering and organizing their information and documentation, and preparing for settlement or trial. I also assist with filing pleadings and motions using Case File Xpress or at the D.C. Superior Court. Time flies when you love your clients and the work you do for them.

My position at First Class Title, Inc. was very exciting, demanding, and rewarding. Selling and purchasing a home is a major life event and financial venture for the numerous parties involved in the transaction. Every single task contributed to their satisfaction and I had pride in doing my best work. Sellers, buyers, lenders, and their agents appreciated timely responses and updates, accurate figures, cost-savings, and more importantly, clear and marketable title. My purpose was to assist the title company with accomplishing these tasks, while providing the best customer service in the industry. I loved the opportunities I had to assist wherever there was a need at any stage of the process, pre or post-closing. This included everything from ordering title updates and lien certifications, assisting with preparing title commitment binders, requesting homeowner association and utility payoff statements, drafting deeds and certificates of satisfaction for lien releases, and moving the file to title policy production following deed recordation. I helped the closing attorney prepare the HUD/ALTA settlement statements, the closing disclosure statement, and ensured disbursements are made post-closing and that escrow accounts were cleared. I simply strived to make sure everyone was happy with every transaction I was involved in. I became a licensed title insurance producer for the States of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and conducted several closings. Thank you First Class Title, Inc. and all the agents, lenders, sellers, buyers, and attorneys I have worked for helping me enrich my knowledge and strengthen my work ethic. My career has truly benefited from this invaluable experience.

Bethesda, Md, Us

During my brief time with the firm, I contributed my bankruptcy talents by preparing and electronically filing motions for relief from the automatic stay of Chapter 7 and 13 cases in the district courts of Maryland, Virginia, and DC. I assisted with filing and mailing the notices for the motions, calendaring motion objection deadlines and hearing dates, and updating the firm’s and our client’s databases with case milestones such as the order granting relief being entered. Although the general process was systematic, such as my verifying whether the debtor was on active military duty, reviewing assignments of deed and trust/mortgages and ensuring the motions were filed by the proper entity, redacting personal data from the motion’s exhibits, and guaranteeing client specific clauses were included in the motions. I was mindful to comply with the local district court rules, specific client instructions, and case variations. For example, certain judges may require a complete chain of title as exhibits to the motion or a detailed payment history. The Western District of Virginia, for example, required a movant’s certification when filing a relief motion. It was also important I review each case for unique matters that may impact the decision for our client to obtain relief such as loan modifications or negotiating repayment terms between our client and the debtor for a consent order resolving a filed motion. My responsibilities included monitoring the payment history for debtor’s compliance to the terms and requesting the automatic stay to be terminated in the event our notice of default was not properly resolved. This position only strengthened my capabilities as a bankruptcy paralegal and I am appreciative for the experience at Rosenberg & Associates.

Irving, Texas, Us

It is true when they say, “You learn something new every day.” This has undeniably described my experience with BSI Financial Services. Just when I believe that I know all things bankruptcy, I realize that learning will always be a continuous process and that the interpretations of law are vast and ambiguous. I have been exposed to new perspectives and approaches to resolving matters due to a strong network of team-players including co-workers and consulting attorneys. My understanding of Chapters 7, 11, and 13 filings and procedures have heightened as a result of working closely with some of the most talented creditor attorneys across the nation. Collaborating with these attorneys has allowed us to analyze, strategize, and compromise in complex bankruptcy matters. My critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills have sharpened. I have never had more confidence handling a Chapter 11 cram down proposal or identifying potential issues in a Chapter 11 or 13 plan since my training and working with BSI staff and attorneys. This position has highlighted the value of teamwork, networking, and pursuing continuing education. Now, more than ever, I am prepared to acquire as much information as possible, share and review it with others, apply it, and finally, learn from the results that knowledge and hard work reaps.

Working at Deval, LLC built upon my understanding and capabilities in Bankruptcy. My knowledge was previously limited to the legal perspective of this complex field. However, this position enlightened me in both the mortgage servicer and the debtor's perspective. At Deval, I was able to capitalize on my routine skills including attention to detail, prioritizing, and professional communication while developing more technical and computer abilities. My hands-on experience with Excel, organizing and reporting data, and computing financial figures on spreadsheets were accentuated. Due to my prior experience as the paralegal receiving the data, I understood the significance of providing transparent, concise, and accurate reporting to the attorney’s office. This position has also allowed me to communicate with the debtors, who filed for bankruptcy and sought financial relief, and to direct them to our Loss Mitigation Department in effort to implement potential, viable options that may allow our customers to keep their home. I felt a sense of accomplishment being a part of the team involved in the loss mitigation process and facilitating the bankruptcy procedure on behalf of the creditor, debtor, and representing attorneys. Working for the mortgage servicer provided me with a comprehensive overview of the bankruptcy process and I am grateful to the Deval team for the extended training and development in my career.

Cincinnati, Oh, Us

Lerner, Sampson, and Rothfuss (LSR) provided me with meaningful, career-enriching exposure to attorneys and the legal profession. I am grateful for my near eight year tenure at the firm and the skills and knowledge I have developed during that time. I learned that every task, no matter how small, was important to our processes and my professional development. I began as a paralegal clerk, scanning and converting documents, mailing time-sensitive closing documents to agents representing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, and uploading copies to our client’s preferred database. I worked diligently with the Post-Foreclosure Sale Deeds Department and our in-house title agency, as a team to accomplish the goal of meeting the government agencies deadlines. After a short period of time, I began to learn other aspects of the foreclosure process including ordering appraisals prior to sale and drafting deeds and reviewing property legal descriptions following the sale. The latter allowed me to hone my proofreading and attention to detail, attributes that have been extremely valuable to my career. Finally, after mastering deeds and becoming more proficient in the mortgage foreclosure sector, the firm provided me with the opportunity to enhance my career and learn the bankruptcy process. I was now exposed to a new group of attorneys and a new code of federal laws, local rules, and regulations. I discovered a niche that I truly enjoyed and excelled at. The experience gained from LSR strengthened the foundation of my career and talents, paved the way for future opportunities, and inspired me to continue to progress in the legal profession.

Bachelor Of Business Administration (Bba), Legal Studies

Paralegal Certificate, Paralegal Studies