Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
ACTIVITIES
Timeline
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Shari Wallen

Summary

Experienced attorney with 17+ years in law firm and in-house counsel roles, including insurance defense. Skilled in legal research, strategic negotiation, and advising senior management on complex transactions. Demonstrated expertise in drafting high-value agreements and managing multiple projects simultaneously. Strong interpersonal skills foster collaboration and teamwork in any professional environment.

Overview

22
22
years of professional experience

Work History

Adjunct Professor

American Intercontinental University Online
01.2019 - Current
  • Deliver engaging lectures and presentations on business law topics each week to undergraduates.
  • Design, developed, and revised curricula for business law and employment law courses.

Assistant City Attorney III/Assistant General Counsel

CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
01.2018 - 01.2025
  • Served as in-house counsel ensuring cross-departmental legal compliance, reducing contractual disputes by 20% through robust legal strategies.
  • Provided legal guidance to Planning, Zoning, and Historic Preservation Boards, enabling timely resolutions for zoning and land use issues.
  • Drafted contracts, policies and procedures, ordinances and resolutions.
  • Litigated cases involving commercial contracts, probate, garnishment and bankruptcy.
  • Collaborated with Risk Management to improve contract provisions that reduced risks to the City.
  • Drafted and negotiated commercial leases and other agreements, achieving a 15% improvement in contract efficiency.
  • Conducted regulatory reviews and advised on privacy, data, and municipal regulations, reducing compliance errors by 10%.
  • Negotiated complex agreements with external parties, resolving disputes and minimizing risks via strategic contractual provisions.
  • Evaluated legal issues in business transactions, leveraging depth in legal research to advise management effectively.

Assistant General Counsel/Associate Attorney

Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol, P.A.
01.2015 - 01.2018
  • Counseled and drafted contracts and other legal documents for multiple public and private entities, ensuring legal compliance and reducing litigation risk by 18%.
  • Drafted contracts, ordinances, policies and procedures, resolutions, and memoranda, enhancing document turnaround time by 20%.
  • Performed comprehensive legal research to support case strategies, improving successful outcomes by 15%.
  • Negotiated contracts with vendors and suppliers, achieving a 10% cost reduction and improved contract terms.
  • Leveraged legal knowledge to advise on business transactions, ensuring alignment with evolving regulatory standards.
  • Drafted and prevailed in appeals.

Associate Attorney

Powers McNalis Torres Teebagy Luongo
01.2014 - 01.2015
  • Represented insurance companies in property, nursing home, and assisted living facility liability disputes.
  • Provided robust defense strategies in complex insurance coverage disputes.
  • Propounded discovery and drafted comprehensive responses to discovery requests, streamlining document production processes.
  • Counseled clients on the recommended courses of action. Prepared motions to dismiss, motions for entry upon land, motions for protective orders, and motions for summary judgment.
  • Enhanced litigation strategies through detailed legal analysis, contributing to successful case resolutions.
  • Obtained a favorable result in over 85% of cases.
  • Negotiated Settlements that significantly reduced compensation costs to plaintiffs, resulting in savings for clients.
  • Counseled clients on strategic legal actions, improving case resolution timelines by 20%, increasing productivity of the firm.
  • Guided clients on strategic legal actions with thorough analysis.
  • Managed confidential case files, ensuring meticulous documentation.

Assistant General Counsel/Staff Attorney

State of Florida
01.2011 - 01.2014
  • Drafted legal documents for a range of judicial matters, ensuring compliance and effective legal persuasion.
  • Attended hearings and conducted thorough legal research to inform judicial recommendations.
  • Drafted critical legal documents across diverse judicial matters, driving consistent compliance.
  • Attended hearings and executed targeted legal research to support judicial decisions.

Litigation Attorney

Ben-Ezra & Katz, P.A.
01.2009 - 01.2011
  • Represented multiple financial institutions at hearings and mediations across Florida.
  • Reviewed contracts to ensure compliance and drafted various legal documents, including pleadings and motions.
  • Prepared pleadings and motions for filing with state and federal courts.
  • Evaluated potential claims against clients to assess liability exposure.
  • Negotiated settlements between parties in civil disputes.
  • Advised clients on potential litigation risks associated with their business decisions.
  • Participated in settlement conferences aimed at resolving pending disputes without litigation.
  • Assisted in trial preparation by coordinating exhibits, witnesses, deposition transcripts, briefs.
  • Analyzed case law, statutes, regulations, contracts, and other documents to identify issues relevant to the litigation.
  • Spearheaded negotiations to settle cases before trials.
  • Researched laws using online databases such as Westlaw or LexisNexis.
  • Interviewed clients and witnesses to acquire additional insight into case details.

Partner

Lee Campbell, PLLC
01.2008 - 01.2009
  • Litigated for clients in criminal defense, traffic citation defense, and foreclosure matters.
  • Managed billing activities to improve firm's financial tracking.
  • Conducted contract reviews and drafted privilege logs for high-profile litigation case at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, LLP.
  • Defended clients in debt collection actions, personal injury claims, immigration cases, and estate planning issues.

Assistant State Attorney

State of Florida
01.2007 - 01.2008
  • Prosecuted defendants for misdemeanors, including traffic citations and felonies.
  • Represented State of Florida in jury and non-jury trials.
  • Prepared witnesses to testify in court hearings and trials.

Intern

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
01.2004 - 01.2004
  • Researched employment case law to aid preparation of orders and opinions for EEOC judges.
  • Assisted in drafting judicial documents following observation of employment discrimination hearings.
  • Analyzed employment discrimination hearings to enhance understanding of case outcomes.
  • Managed time effectively to ensure tasks were completed on schedule and deadlines were met.
  • Worked effectively in team environments to make the workplace more productive.

Education

J.D. - Law

Florida International University
Miami, Florida

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science

University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

LL.M. in Elder Law And Estate Planning - Law

Western New England University
Springfield, MA

Skills

  • Legal Research
  • Legal Judgment
  • Legal Writing
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Project Management
  • Case Strategy
  • Risk Assessment
  • Business Transactions
  • Strategic Negotiation
  • Legal Advisory
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Team Collaboration

ACTIVITIES

Artificial Floral Arrangements Designer Avid Yoga, Barre, and Pilates Practitioner Florida Bar Association, Florida Bar News Editorial Board 2016-2019 University of Miami Alumni Association

Timeline

Adjunct Professor

American Intercontinental University Online
01.2019 - Current

Assistant City Attorney III/Assistant General Counsel

CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
01.2018 - 01.2025

Assistant General Counsel/Associate Attorney

Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol, P.A.
01.2015 - 01.2018

Associate Attorney

Powers McNalis Torres Teebagy Luongo
01.2014 - 01.2015

Assistant General Counsel/Staff Attorney

State of Florida
01.2011 - 01.2014

Litigation Attorney

Ben-Ezra & Katz, P.A.
01.2009 - 01.2011

Partner

Lee Campbell, PLLC
01.2008 - 01.2009

Assistant State Attorney

State of Florida
01.2007 - 01.2008

Intern

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
01.2004 - 01.2004

J.D. - Law

Florida International University

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science

University of Miami

LL.M. in Elder Law And Estate Planning - Law

Western New England University
Shari Wallen