Staff at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.

"In my 25 years with this firm I had the satisfaction to see it grow into a powerful firm representing thousands of people. Our team is very important in the whole process. We are united, motivated, and qualified - this is the thing that sets us apart."

Treven Pyles - Administrative Director

Treven Pyles, the Administrative Director, is in charge of organizing complex operations that involve people and information, which are two of the key concepts on which our law firm operates. From welcoming and training new staff members to recording and managing information, planning and maintenance, and many unlisted support operations, Treven handles a great number of daily tasks that make our team go forward, one case after another. Patience and hard work are the qualities Treven embodies as a whole-hearted, people-oriented staff member.

"Working for ELG is not a job, it's more of a calling. I'm a talker, I like getting to know all those different people - Navy and Air Force veterans, steel plant or powerhouse workers, and others, learning to appreciate what we have, and being able to help them."

Michael Bartlett - Director of Case Management

Since 1995, Michael Bartlett has had many positions in the firm, starting as a legal assistant. After graduating from UAB, he became an expert in environmental litigation matters, especially toxic exposure. His life experience with toxic chemical exposure injuries fueled his motivation to help people in similar circumstances. Over the two decades of meeting with clients and doing interviews, Michael has a great understanding of the products that cause significant exposure to a wide variety of toxicants.

"Even since I started as a receptionist, I learned that people are so different and react to their situations in various ways, but they all have something in common: the need for clear, concise legal help. We are here for them, and we truly care."

Skyler Oltsik - Legal Assistant

A UAB graduate and a member of our group for 6 years, Skyler is now a legal assistant in a team that makes a joint effort to do things right from the beginning.

Filing toxic exposure claims with the information they require, researching missing information, finding the links between work history and significant exposure are some of her main tasks.

Due to Skyler and her colleagues' efforts, clients receive the right treatment they deserve, and their needs are being taken care of in a highly professional way.

"Most of our clients are hard-working blue-collar people that have been wronged and suffer every day. The least we can do is to ease their financial concerns in their remaining time by earning fair compensation for them and their families left behind."

Jonathan Sharp - Director of Claims

As CFO and Director of Claims, Jonathan Sharp is responsible for our firm's financial matters. His main responsibilities are case evaluation, management of firm assets, financial analysis. As Director of Claims, he manages client relations and the collection and proper distribution of all the funds. He has been with the firm almost from the beginning, and he's also been very involved in toxic exposure cases over the years. He describes his occupation as a "sophisticated, non-traditional, rewarding one, sometimes challenging."

"Although demanding and requiring a great deal of integrity and professionalism my job brings me joy. I do my best to offer innovative solutions and keep up with current technology. Being able to witness the fruit of my work is very rewarding."

Dr. Gerald Austin Sr., Chief Procurement Officer (CPO)

Dr. Gerald Austin Sr. acts as a key executive advisor in developing Federal, State and Local Business Development Plan/Strategy for Environmental Litigation Group, PC Federal Division.

"Creating and optimizing solutions for Environmental Litigation Group keeps me dynamic and sharp for which I am grateful. At ELG I can continuously acquire new skills and serve the public good."

Brittany Opoku - Federal Business Development Lead

Brittany Opoku is focused on Federal, State and Local Proposal Development, Capture and Contract Management for Environmental Litigation Group, PC Federal Division.

"I may have something different to do every day, but I mainly assist people through the entire process, fill out forms, and put together pieces of the "puzzle." So it is only natural to do all that while being open and available to our clients."

Brandi Storey - Client Liaison / Legal Assistant

As a client liaison and legal assistant, Brandi's activities mainly involve talking to people, finding details from their work history, researching, and connecting the information to collect data for claim filing. She does the initial phone calls, setting the tone for a good connection with the clients.

Communication doesn't stop with paperwork, as people are contacted regularly. However, like all the other team members who often work extra hours, she goes above and beyond to take care of our client's cases.

"Interacting with clients is my favorite part of the job, because I get to speak to someone different every day. I get to know more about our clients and despite their misfortunes, many of them are keeping a positive mindset and are very pleasant to talk to."

Gema Zapien - Client Liaison / Legal Assistant

Be it an older employee or a recent one at our law firm, communication is an important aspect of our team's activity, especially for a client liaison and legal assistant such as Gema Zapien. She is patient in gathering work history information for toxic exposure cases and helps the clients with all the necessary documents. Gema is also fluent in Spanish.

Gema relates to our clients by keeping in mind the difficulties of their situation. Having to remember things from more than 40 years ago while suffering from a disease is not an easy thing for anyone.

"I do not normally deal directly with clients/cases, so I don't have personal preferences, but I appreciate being a part of something that can make a big difference in people’s lives."

Chris Maddox - Database Administrator / Application Developer

Chris Maddox has a lot of work to do for the ELG team every day, mainly development work on tracking cases and storing client files. Even if he describes his activity as enjoyable and fulfilling, there are also challenging parts: predicting how staff will use the systems and preventing problems before they arise.

On a personal level, Chris also has a close family member passing from lung cancer due to exposure to toxic substances. Knowing what this means from a physical and financial point of view, he appreciates being a part of something that helps people going through the same.

"To get my job done as a certified professional paralegal for ELG, I must multitask and be as quick and detailed as possible. What I like most about my job is that there is never a dull moment. I'm dealing with multiple attorneys, clients, and co-workers at the same time."

Amelia de Buys - Certified Professional Paralegal

Amelia has been working in our team for 14 years as a paralegal for the firm's principal attorney and staff attorneys. She is experienced in helping with most questions that a client may have, so she often travels to meet them to help complete the paperwork.

The main trait that characterizes Amelia is her genuine interest in the people involved in the various cases that we handle.

"As I gather various information on each client to get it approved for payment—and sometimes that can be a challenge in itself, I realize that the final reward is doing your job as well as you can and having helped another human being."

Barbara Harris - Legal Assistant

Barbara Harris has been with us since 1993, accumulating experience in a very time-consuming but also rewarding job. Her job is mainly to process claims which means she speaks to many clients daily, attends to their needs by providing useful information on their claims, and assists them with anything else they might need.

Her dedication provides the attorneys with a solid foundation to work with. Collecting complete and correct information is the key to making as many successful claims as possible.

"Whether it’s able to tell clients a check is in the mail, explain a document in understandable terms, or simply being the understanding person on the other end of their call, I like being able to help people. My job is satisfying, rewarding."

Wendy Garmon - Paralegal / Assistant to Gregory Cade

Wendy Garmon has been an employee at ELG for more than twenty years. Her job includes dealing with the pleadings being filed within the Court system, gathering and organizing all the necessary client data, communicating with the clients to keep them informed and answer their questions, traveling to the community to meet with the clients one on one, and helping them with supporting documents needed for their case. While employed by ELG, Wendy has worked on all other community exposure cases, other types of environmentally-related cases such as oil and chemical spills, pesticide exposure cases, and pharmaceutical cases.

"My work at ELG is very interesting; it's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together for every case. It is about getting complete and accurate information as possible to obtain financial compensation for our clients. I found my niche in medical and legal research, and I love my job."

Amy S. - Medical / Legal Assistant

After several years of working at our law firm as a legal assistant, Amy has continued to be an important part of the team. She verifies medical files and ensures the medical records are complete and organized.

She understands what a toxic exposure case means, especially after experiencing it in her own family. These details represent an important part of how our firm deals with each case by caring enough always to go the extra mile.

"It is both inspirational and motivational for me to work on ELG cases, talk to people, and respond to their needs. They always tell me how helpful I am and that my job and work do not go unnoticed."

LaQuita Jones - Legal Assistant

LaQuita is a Virginia College graduate and our team member who is determined and believes in hard work. Interacting with clients is the main part of her job which includes answering their case-related questions, talking with them on the phone, being attentive, and really listening to them. These are the things that allow us to build a strong case for our clients.

One of LaQuita's work principles is to make sure the clients understand what is going on with their case and that their questions do not go unanswered. Their appreciative responses motivate her to do the job thoroughly.

"I have always wanted to work in bookkeeping, so I can say that working at ELG is keeping me busy, but I also find it challenging and educational. Sometimes I join the team's efforts as a paralegal, I enjoy everything so far."

Katrina Jett - Bookkeeper

Katrina is responsible for updating clients' bookkeeping records, paying bills, printing and processing settlement checks, and other bookkeeping tasks. She has also worked as a paralegal at our firm and Regions Bank in the Subpoena processing department.

Even in the most technical aspects of our team's activities, people have the same needs. Katrina is available and understanding in helping our clients.

"To achieve great results, every team member has to do many small, seemingly insignificant tasks necessary for the success of our day-to-day operations. At Environmental Litigation Group, I do these daily since October 4, 1993."

Alan Brasher - Archival and Record Manager

Alan Brasher, our Archival and Record Manager, is responsible for checking in, organizing, and storing any evidence that we may need to use for our cases. In addition, he researches information that may prove beneficial to our clients and us. Also, he is in charge of organizing large numbers of documents for case-related projects. His job includes maintaining the paperwork, documents, X-rays for all of our clients in all of our cases. If there were only three words to describe Alan's job, they would be "Always very busy!" but that is not uncommon in our working environment.

"If a job can be described as demanding and rewarding at the same time, mine is certainly one of those. I like handling checks and balances just as much as speaking to the clients. However, keeping everything in balance in a firm with intense activity can sometimes be challenging."

Wanda Dailey - Accounts Manager

Some of our team members have been with the firm from the very beginning. For example, Wanda Dailey, our Accounts Manager, has been with us from the start, dealing with accounts, payroll, and financial reports daily for the past 25 years. Although her job deals mainly with accounting, she also answers questions from clients.

"Although I never speak with clients, I help the team with the information system, improving the staff’s ability to help them. My professional satisfaction is to see the staff use the things I've designed and built and directly contribute to the firm's growth."

Adam McDermott - Information Systems Manager

Automating people’s jobs is what Adam McDermott, ELG's Information Systems Manager, does daily at his job. Since 2008, when he started working for ELG as a temp, he continually builds and optimizes our case management database/system to improve workflow and maximize the value of each case.

He thinks that the most challenging part of his job is designing systems with the scalability to keep pace with our growth rate and the flexibility to be useful 10 years from now.

"My job may sometimes require me to go the extra mile literally. For instance, when clients are incapacitated or don't have transportation, I travel to them and assist them with their paperwork. In addition, I like giving a helping hand to our clients while being able to listen to the many life stories they share."

Eddie Perry - Procurement Clerk

Eddie's daily activities in the Circulation Department consist of mailing client correspondence, taking care of the supplies, doing maintenance, and visiting clients at their location. He's been working with us for 18 years, always being a people-oriented employee and a genuinely caring person. Having experienced a condition caused by exposure to toxic chemicals in his extended family, Eddie is someone who really understands the consequent distress and difference in the quality of life. 

"For me, this is more than a job; it is a rewarding and sometimes challenging pursuit to put myself in people's service. After talking with the clients, helping them understand how the process works, and really getting involved in the long term - it's like they become a part of your family."

Kathy Tucker - Medical / Legal Assistant

Having been in the legal field for 22 years translates into significant experience in assisting clients, both in the claims department and in the medical department. Kathy Tucker is talking to clients, answers their questions, reviews their cases, requests medical information on their behalf, and much more. The authentic interest in what she does helps her relate with our clients. Only by trying to understand the specific needs in this unfortunate situation can make another person able to provide accurate solutions.

"What would I say about my role within the ELG team after more than 25 years? That it was satisfying and sometimes frustrating at the same time. I work with the most delicate segment of our clients, the families left behind."

Wendy Stevens - Legal Assistant

Wendy Stevens' job is to work on the deceased clients' cases. In addition, she is an experienced legal assistant who offers support to the widows and children of those we represent. Helping people can take many forms, from telling them a check is in the mail to explain a document in understandable terms or maybe saying the right thing to someone who has not heard a kind or helpful word in a very long time. She also handles toxic exposure claims and pharmaceutical cases. But, as Wendy sees it, the most challenging part is perhaps not having enough hours in the day to get the workload completed.

"Although my job entails a very fast-paced work environment and requires constant interaction with many different people, being able to promote the invaluable legal services Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. provides is always rewarding. We are permanently striving to increase the firm’s visibility so that those affected by exposure to toxic substances, including carcinogenic agents, pesticides, or/and pharmaceutical products, will know they have someone reliable to turn to for legal representation and advice."

Hilda Oltean - Media & PR Coordinator

Hilda Oltean is responsible for organizing and coordinating our law firm’s events and interviews and developing the company’s public image. In addition, she promotes the legal services Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. offers by arranging public appearances, maintaining a social media presence, issuing press releases, and supervising the content on our website.

Our Media and PR Coordinator also contributes significantly to future marketing programs to increase the firm’s visibility. By making essential information about Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. available to the public, more people injured by toxic exposure will access our services.

Outstanding organizational skills, critical thinking, and perfect communication skills are mandatory for a successful Media and PR Coordinator, and Hilda exhibits all these vital attributes. Regardless of the demanding nature of her job, she always rises to the challenge by virtue of her skills.

"As a Legal Marketing Coordinator, my responsibility is to develop efficient digital marketing strategies which will promote the services of Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., specifically to people who were unfairly injured by toxic chemical exposure. In addition, I am permanently analyzing and improving the marketing techniques we employ to reach a larger audience and make our services accessible to anyone who needs a competent attorney for their case."

Ciprian Oltean - Legal Marketing Coordinator

Ciprian Oltean is in charge of developing effective marketing strategies and brand awareness campaigns to increase the notoriety of the legal services Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. provides. Because the Internet has become a major source of information within the past decade, benefiting from the knowledge and skills of a Legal Marketing Coordinator is crucial for maximum visibility.

In addition, a great number of toxic exposure victims can be reached through electronic media if appropriate digital marketing techniques are used. By benefiting from the expertise of Ciprian, the popularity of our law firm has grown considerably, and our attorneys have thereby been able to help more people recover the compensation they deserve.

"As a Communications & Branding Manager, my job is to make sure that the people who need help are informed about the work we do here at Environmental Litigation Group P.C and can easily connect with our professionals. I love what I'm doing, especially because I know that our work truly makes a difference in people's lives."

Yolanda Johnson - Communications & Branding Manager

Yolanda Johnson is responsible for increasing brand awareness and providing support through relationship marketing, media, and advertisements. Her job involves providing customer service through our online platforms, monitoring the delivery of brand campaigns, implementing communication strategies, and developing materials that can help the public better understand who we are and how we can help those affected by environmental toxic exposure.