Legal Assistants

CATHERINE A. BRUNING
E-MAIL: cbruning@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2749

Catherine A. Bruning graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies and a minor in Criminal Justice. She has worked in various areas of law including personal injury, collections and patent/trademark.

Cathy is currently a member of our real estate transaction team. As a legal assistant, she assists her team attorneys in all areas of corporate transactions, including acquisition, development and management of real estate, tax matters, financing, and estate planning. Her duties include drafting of documents, coordinating transactions, client interaction and due diligence. She further assists her team members in coordinating and drafting documents for bank loans, bankruptcy drafting and filings, and drafting and filing landlord/tenant pleadings.

ERIN REAGAN COLLINS
E-MAIL: ecollins@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2746

Erin Reagan Collins graduated with honors from Oakland Community College with an Associate's degree from their Paralegal program. She went on to continue her education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus. Ms. Collins has worked as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal since 1997 in the areas of criminal law, family law, probate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, legal malpractice and civil litigation.

Here at Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C., Ms. Collins builds and maintains computerized in-house document databases and also conducts the computerized courtroom presentations. Ms. Collins stays up to date with the latest legal technology and software so that Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C. remains on the cutting edge of litigation technology.

Ms. Collins is also a Legal Assistant on the Engineering Architectural Construction team where she focuses on intensive and complex litigation. Ms. Collins is an extremely ethical, organized and detail orientated person who takes great pride in her work.

Ms. Collins is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Legal Assistant's Section and authored the "Paralegal Perspective" column in the Legal Advocator Newspaper for two years.

PEGGY H. PRATT
E-MAIL: ppratt@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2803

Peggy H. Pratt is a litigation legal assistant whose work primarily involves premises liability defense. She also has experience in arson cases and asbestos claim litigation.

Ms. Pratt is a former officer and past council member of the Legal Assistants Section of the State Bar Association of Michigan. She joined Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C. in 1994. Ms. Pratt received an Associate degree, awarded magna cum laude, from Henry Ford Community College in 1987. She completed her Bachelor's degree in general studies, awarded with distinction, from the University of Michigan - Dearborn in 1997.

KARYN H. SMITH
E-MAIL: ksmith@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2833

Karen H. Smith Karyn H. Smith attended Georgetown College and Eastern Kentucky University receiving her B.A. in Paralegal Science in 1985. Her continued education consists of attending countless seminars in various areas including medical malpractice, Westlaw, Medicare/Medicaid, ERISA, and trial management.

Ms. Smith has been a litigation paralegal for over 20 years. Her principle areas of practice are complex litigation, medical malpractice, commercial litigation, personal injury and products liability. Ms. Smith has managed projects relating to a wide range of liability and damage cases, including hospital, surgical, nursing home, automobile accident, personal injury and most recently multiemployer benefit fund operations. She also has extensive experience in litigation trial support and research and writing. Prior to joining Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C., Ms. Smith gained worthwhile experience working for firms in Connecticut and Kentucky.

Ms. Smith is a member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc., the State Bar of Michigan - Legal Assistant's Section, and holds a legal assistant membership with the Oakland County Bar Association.

JAN F. ROSE
E-MAIL: jrose@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2775

Jan F. Rose graduated cum laude from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Science degree. She furthered her studies by attending the Institute for Paralegal Training in Philadelphia, PA where she received a Letter of Completion. Additionally, she has attended numerous seminars and CLE courses in a variety of disciplines where she continued to gain the necessary detailed nuances in the areas of complex litigation, environmental law and advanced technology.

The legal experience Ms. Rose has acquired is widely connected to the defense of complex, document-intensive litigation in the areas of construction and environmental law, along with insurance matters. She also has a keen familiarity in the prosecution of professional malpractice matters.

Ms. Rose is a long standing member of the Legal Assistant section of the State Bar of Michigan.

BRENDA L. WILLIS
E-MAIL: bwillis@swappc.com
PHONE: 248-746-2753

Brenda L. Willis graduated from Macomb Community College with an Associates Degree in Paralegal studies in 1989. She then went on to continue her education at the University of Detroit Mercy.

Ms. Willis has extensive experience in civil litigation, medical malpractice and legal malpractice. Here at Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C., she focuses on Complex Litigation & Creditors/Debtors Rights and Remedies.

One of Ms. Willis' specialty areas is document intensive organization and management and she creates and maintains numerous litigation technology databases. Ms. Willis prides herself on always being on top of the most complex cases.