Executive Legal Assistant | Litigation & Corporate Law Support Specialist

Thomas Whitaker

Professional Summary

Executive Legal Assistant with 10+ years of experience supporting senior attorneys and partners in litigation, M&A, and regulatory governance. Expert in docketing, trial preparation, and maintaining airtight legal documentation for both state and federal courts. Skilled in using modern legal tech platforms (including e-discovery and AI tools), managing sensitive client communication, and optimizing firm-wide workflows. Recognized for anticipating attorney needs, minimizing filing errors, and ensuring courtroom readiness under tight deadlines.

Work Experience

Executive Assistant to Senior Partners at Kessler & Hoyt LLP

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• Provide full executive and litigation support to two senior litigation partners and one corporate law partner specializing in M&A and securities regulation. • Coordinate all litigation logistics including client prep, deposition scheduling, subpoenas, document review timelines, and courtroom exhibit handling. • Manage federal and state docket calendars using CourtAlert and LawToolBox, ensuring all filings and deadlines are tracked and escalated as needed. • Prepare, revise, and format pleadings, motions, discovery responses, board minutes, NDAs, and SEC-related filings under extreme time sensitivity. • Interface with local and federal courts, court reporters, and opposing counsel to streamline pre-trial and trial-day logistics. • Maintain billing compliance by tracking hours and preparing monthly invoices through Clio, Timeslips, and LEDES billing formats. • Use Casetext CoCounsel and Harvey AI to assist attorneys in summarizing case law, reviewing contracts, and generating litigation timelines. • Developed firm-wide onboarding protocol and knowledge hub for junior assistants and paralegals using Notion and Loom.

Legal Assistant – Litigation & Discovery at Sanders Law Group

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• Supported team of five attorneys handling commercial litigation, employment law, and IP disputes. • Drafted and proofed legal correspondence, case summaries, scheduling orders, and witness outlines. • Processed over 10,000 documents for e-discovery across multiple cases using Relativity, Logikcull, and Everlaw platforms. • Tracked statute of limitations for multi-jurisdictional cases and ensured timely motions were filed through PACER and state e-filing portals. • Assisted in trial exhibit preparation and remote hearing logistics using Adobe Acrobat Pro and TrialDirector. • Built internal intake forms for new clients that improved screening speed and compliance.

Education

AAS in Paralegal Studies

Harold Washington College

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Skills

Technical Skills

  • Legal Calendar & Docket Management
  • Trial Exhibit Prep & Witness Coordination
  • Document Review & E-Discovery Processing
  • Redlining, Proofing & Legal Drafting
  • SEC & Corporate Filing Prep
  • Legal Billing (Clio, LEDES, Timeslips)
  • Confidential Client Communication
  • SOP Development & Training

Soft Skills

  • Precision Under Pressure
  • Discretion & Ethical Judgement
  • Anticipating Partner Needs
  • High Emotional Intelligence
  • Written and Verbal Communication
  • Problem Solving & Workflow Optimization
  • Adaptability in Fast-Paced Environments

Certifications

NALS Certified Legal Professional (CLP)

NALS

Notary Public

State of Georgia

RelativityOne Review Specialist

Clio Certified Specialist

Score
88/100
Work Experience
88/100
Education
70/100
Skills
90/100
Certifications
85/100
Projects
80/100
Profile
90/100
Header
85/100
Add precise dates (month and year) for all education and work experience entries to improve timeline clarity.
Quantify achievements in work experience to demonstrate impact (e.g., percentage improvements, time saved).
Standardize formatting of contact information and LinkedIn URL to enhance ATS parsing.
Expand education section with relevant coursework or honors to strengthen academic background.
Include dates and clearer roles in project descriptions to better connect them to career progression.
Extensive 10+ years supporting senior litigation and corporate law attorneys with specialized skills.
Strong expertise in legal technology platforms including AI tools like Harvey AI and Casetext CoCounsel.
Proven ability to manage complex legal workflows, docketing, and trial preparation under tight deadlines.
Multilingual proficiency (English native, fluent Spanish) which adds communication versatility.

Work Experience

88%
Detailed descriptions with specific responsibilities and use of legal technology show strong domain expertise.
Use bullet points consistently, and consider adding quantifiable achievements (e.g., 'reduced filing errors by X%').
Include exact start and end months/years for all roles to improve timeline clarity for ATS and recruiters.

Education

70%
Basic education information provided with degree and institution.
Add start date or graduation month/year for completeness.
Include any relevant coursework, honors, or certifications related to legal studies to strengthen this section.

Skills

90%
Comprehensive list of hard and soft skills relevant to legal assistant and litigation support roles.
Inclusion of specific legal software/tools enhances ATS keyword optimization.
Consider grouping tools separately for clearer ATS parsing and recruiter review.

Certifications

85%
Relevant certifications listed with dates and issuing authorities.
Add missing award dates for Notary Public and clarify issuing authority for RelativityOne and Clio certifications.
Consider highlighting certifications in summary/profile for better visibility.

Projects

80%
Projects demonstrate initiative and measurable impact, such as reducing missed deadlines by 95%.
Include dates for projects and specify your role or leadership level more clearly.
Consider linking projects explicitly to skills or accomplishments in work experience for stronger narrative.

Profile

90%
Strong, concise summary highlighting 10+ years of relevant experience and key legal assistant skills.
Effectively incorporates keywords such as litigation, M&A, docketing, and legal tech which improve ATS keyword matching.

Header

85%
Clear and professional header with full name, job title, location, and contact information.
Include full street address or at least city and state consistently; consider adding a professional LinkedIn URL with https:// prefix for ATS parsing.
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