DEBORAH ARBET

1233 Meadowwood Avenue

C (630) 903-8115

Debbiearbet@gmail.com

 

 

 

SUMMARY

A high energy and resourceful legal administrative assistant with vast experience in document preparation, contracts and leases, file reviews/management, abstracting system maintenance, training, data/office/project management and audits.  Possesses a proven track record of strong business and legal acumen as well as an unquestioned integrity and exhaustive work ethic.  Evaluates situations and improves contract terms, realizing significant cost savings and benefits to both parties.  Contributes to the growth of an organization by effectively managing business’s assets.

 

 

EXPERIENCE

MCDONALD’S CORPORATION, Oak Brook, Illinois

Senior Legal Assistant, 2009-2015

 

Contributed to property management team managing all after-market work on existing restaurants and properties.  Assigned specific regional work.  Assisted with regional offices on local legal requests, worked on legal clearances, and prepared documents for condemnations from local jurisdictions, such as state and city offices, such as department of transportation, handling defaults with accounting and regional offices.  Arranged letters to default landlords for monetary and store issues.  Processed change of payee requests from landlords, shopping center owners, and developers as well as mechanic’s liens, violations, estoppels, certificate requests from landlords, shopping center owners and banks.

 

Executed contracts and leases for excess property, lease and file review for questions from landlords, and accounting.  Managed Center of Excellence for matter management and abstracting system maintenance, including specialized training for all new property managers in field of legal technology, as well as property management team members and other legal members as necessary.  Oversaw all processing of abstracting reports for property management members as needed and provided critical date management for all property managers and other internal department members.  Worked directly with property managers on dates due and with internal data management team on updating dates, inactivating abstracts and informing departments to keep systems accurate.

 

*Cooperated in conjunction with accounting and I/T on new Tririga system for company use

*Conducted screen design, testing and management review

 

Legal Technology Manager, 2006-2008

 

Directed technology and training needs for real estate legal teams.  Worked with various teams on technology needs.  Collaborated with data management team on departmental needs and requests for modifications to Virtual Premise (CoStar).  Met regularly with technology team volunteers to discuss proposals for legal advisory board and tested and implemented changes for roll-out to department.  Set up training sessions and gave all employees on existing technologies.  Provided ad-hoc training as needed.  Met and coordinated changes to systems with IT personnel, reviewing new technologies, and changes to existing systems.

 

Monitored critical dates for Virtual Premise creating reports and sending information to field for review and change.  Prepared manuals on IMS and accounting systems for use by department.  Organized online recording of brief system changes for use by team members.  Attended outside seminars, ABA Techshow and other meetings held off-site to report back and present to Legal Advisory Board.  Contributed to change notice initiative used to send via Microsoft Word through email to accounting department to make changes to sites for payment of rent and CAM.

 

 

*Cooperated with members to streamline change notice types, worked with Virtual Premise on field design and implementation, departmental training, manual prepare and use.

*Presented to Virtual Premise during User conference (twice)

*Received Star Award

 

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Team Leader of Shared Service Center, 2000-2005.  Managed brand new legal team.  Created Shared Service Center to process matters, such as change of payees, defaults, violations, public hearings, lease and CAM review, estoppel certificates and non-disturbance agreements, rights of first refusal, and other items as requested.  Worked with management on streamlining documentation and created manual for departmental use.  Processed change of payees, defaults, mechanics lien claims, violations, public hearings, dormant funds, estoppel certificates and non-disturbance agreements, and other work as needed.  Resolved issues, worked with all legal teams and accounting departments on issues, as well as worked directly with attorneys on major issues.

 

Legal Assistant, 1996-1999.  Worked with various regional teams.  Oversaw all work related to proposed new restaurants as well as property management of existing restaurants.  Prepared new contracts and leases for new deals and managed all paperwork for deals from cradle to grave, including change of payees, ancillary documents such as deeds, memorandums of leases, covenants not to compete, easements, and settlement statements.  Directed work with title companies on closing fee locations.  Executed excess property contract and lease preparation, file processing, legal clearances, condemnations, rights of first refusal and other work as required by attorney and regional offices.  Developed relationships with regional office. 

 

Secretary, Administrative Secretary, Administrative Coordinator, 1982-1996.  Conducted typing, file organization and purging, travel arrangements, filing, computer data entry, and auditing computer entry for legal department.  Worked on notice memo numbering system.  Wrote procedures for data entry for department.  Awarded Center of Excellence for IMS data entry, including entry for all modifications to dates for new deals and existing deals.  Provided hardcopy paper for entry into system.  Audited all changes for accuracy.  Received prestigious President’s Award which recognizes the top 1% of company.

 

CHAPMAN AND CUTLER, Chicago, Illinois, Secretary, 1979-1982.  Worked in secretarial pool for law clerks.  Collaborated with partner in law firm.  Performed file setup, shorthand, typing, file maintenance and deciphering depositions.  Ordered supplies and other assignments as needed.

 

CERTIFICATION

 

Paralegal Certificate

 

COMPUTER SKILLS

 

Typing 100 WPM, Microsoft Office Suite, Virtual Premise (CoStar) Abstracting, Mitratech (Team Connect) Matter Management System, Mainframe System, Clerical Products