Lemberg & Associates – Consumer Attorneys

Sergei Lemberg, Esq.

Principal

Sergei Lemberg, Esq. In almost a decade of practicing law, Mr. Lemberg has earned a reputation as a tough and tireless advocate with a passion for helping average people fight for compensation they deserve. He stands up to huge carmakers, insurance companies, debt collection agencies, and other big businesses. In fact, he has been designated the “most active consumer attorney” by the debt collection industry.

After holding positions with several major law firms in New York and Connecticut, Mr. Lemberg launched his own practice in 2006. Since starting as a solo practitioner, Mr. Lemberg has grown his firm to 4 full-time and 16 part-time attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. He has been lead counsel in a number of class actions, and is considered an authoritative source for consumer law issues by national media such as ABC News, MSN, and Chanel 7 in Boston, the Los Angeles Times, Consumer Reports, and the Boston Herald. Mr. Lemberg is a native speaker of Russian, and speaks French and Spanish.

Degrees:

• University of Pennsylvania Law School - J.D. (2001)
• Brandeis University - B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business (1997)

State Admissions:

• Massachusetts (2002)
• New York (2002)
• Connecticut (2005)

Federal Court Admissions

• District of Massachusetts (2006)
• District of Connecticut (2006)
• Southern District of New York (2003)

Appeals Court Admissions

• First Circuit Court of Appeals (2009)
• Second Circuit Court of Appeals (2011)
• Third Circuit Court of Appeals (2010)
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2010)

Publications

• Connecticut Civil Complaints for Business Litigation – Contributing Author – Lemon Law and Auto Defect Litigation
• Seize Your Power: How to Stop Debt Collectors NOW - Author

Stephen Taylor, Esq.

Associate

Stephen Taylor is a former judicial clerk and has worked for the Connecticut criminal defense firm, the Law Offices of Norman Pattis.

Degrees:

• Tulane University Law School (2007)
• Boston College (2003)
• Queen’s College London – Certificate of Achievement in International Business (2005)

State Admissions:

• Connecticut (2008)
• New York (2010)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Eastern District of New York (2010)
• Northern District of New York (2010)
• Southern District of New York (2010)

Jody Berke Burton, Esq.

Associate

Jody Berke Burton understands that compassion, combined with a keen understanding of consumer law, are powerful tools for bringing justice to her clients. After two federal judicial clerkships in Washington, D.C., Ms. Burton represented the federal government in litigation before entering the private sector and joining Lemberg & Associates as a tireless consumer law attorney.

Degrees:

• American University, Washington College of Law – J.D. (1993)
• State University of New York at Albany – B.A. in English (1990)

State Admissions:

• Connecticut (2004)
• District of Columbia (1996)
• Pennsylvania (1994)

Federal Court Admissions:

• District of Connecticut (2011)
• District of Columbia (2011)
• Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2009)
• Middle District of Pennsylvania (2009)
• Western District of Pennsylvania (2009)
• Southern District of Texas (2011)
• Eastern District of Texas (2011)
• Northern District of Texas (2011)

Vlad Hirnyk, Esq.

Associate

Vlad Hirnyk joined Lemberg & Associates shortly after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Pace University School of Law. Mr. Hirnyk received an International Law Certificate from Pace University in recognition of his concentrated studies in the area of International Law. Mr. Hirnyk clerked for a year at John Jay Legal Services Center and was awarded an Outstanding Clinical Student award.

Degrees:

• Pace University School of Law – J.D., magna cum laude (2009)
• Pace University School of Law – International Law Certificate
• University of Connecticut – B.G.S. (2005)

State Admissions:

• New York  (2010)
• Connecticut (2009)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Eastern District of New York (2011)
• Northern District of New York (2011)
• Southern District of New York (2011)
• Western District of New York (2011)
• Northern District of Illinois (2012)
• Central District of Illinois (2012)
• Southern District of Illinois (2012)
• Western District of Michigan (2012)

Jenny DeFrancisco, Esq.

Associate

Ms. DeFrancisco joined Lemberg & Associates in 2011 after completing a post-graduate fellowship with the New York State Division of Human Rights. In 2010, Ms. DeFrancisco received a Brooklyn Law School public service award for her pro bono legal work in government and non-profit settings.

Degrees:

• Brooklyn Law School – J.D. (2010)
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst – B.A. in Political Science, cum laude (2007)

State Admissions:

• Connecticut (2011)
• New York (2011)

Federal Court Admissions:

• District of Nebraska (2012)
• District of North Dakota (2012)

Tammy Hussin, Esq.

Of Counsel (California)

Tammy Hussin has been protecting consumers’ rights since 2005, specializing in Fair Debt Collection Practices Act litigation.

Degrees:

• Southwestern University School of Law – J.D. cum laude (1991)
• Florida State University – B.A. (Business and Finance Administration, 1986)

State Admissions:

• California (1991)
• Michigan (1996)
• Colorado (1999)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Northern District of California (2007)
• Eastern District of California (2007)
• Central District of California (2007)
• Southern District of California (2007)
• District of Colorado (2007)
• Western District of Michigan (Not Sworn In)

James D. Kelly, Esq.

Of Counsel (New Hampshire)

James Kelly began his legal career as a creditors’ rights attorney. Since then, he has spent time working abroad as Senate Legal Counsel to the Government of Palau, has served as general counsel to various corporate clients and local government entities, and has been plaintiffs’ counsel in numerous civil litigation matters. Mr. Kelly has also served on the Board of Directors of a number of New Hampshire non-profit organizations.

Degrees:

• Thomas Jefferson School of Law (2003)
• Plymouth State College – B.S. in Psychology (1995)

State Admissions:

• New Hampshire (2004)

Federal Court Admissions:

• District of New Hampshire (2010)

Sofia Balile, Esq.

Of Counsel (New York, New Jersey)

Sofia Balile earned her law degree from Wake Forest University. Upon graduating, Ms. Balile clerked with the Honorable Judge Maria Sypek in Trenton, New Jersey. She used her experience to enter into general litigation with Thaniel J. Beinert & Associates in New York, where her practice focused on litigation, divorce, and real estate law. Ms. Balile then worked for Cantor Epstein & Mazzola, defending condominiums, cooperatives, and management companies. She left defense litigation to join Paul Weiss in corporate litigation. She launched her own practice in 2009, focusing on real estate, family law, business litigation, and consumer protection litigation. 

Degrees:

• Wake Forest University – J.D. (2002)
• George Mason University – B.A., magna cum laude (1999)

State Admissions:

• New Jersey (2003)
• New York (2002)

Federal Court Admissions:

• District of New Jersey (2004)

Lark Fogel

Of Counsel (Colorado)

Lark H. Fogel is a Colorado attorney in private practice since 1988. Lark was an Associate and Partner with James F. Scherr, P.C. from 1988 until 1994. She has been practicing in the area of personal injury and worker’s compensation since 1994.

Degrees:

• University of Colorado Law School – J.D. (1988)
• University of Colorado, cum laude (1983)

State Admissions:

• Texas (1988)
• Colorado (1999)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Western District of Texas (1989)
• District of Colorado (1999)
• U.S. Court of Claims (1989)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• Fifth Circuit (1999)

Cara Hergenroether

Of Counsel (Georgia)

While at the University of Georgia School of Law, Cara Hergenroether served as Senior Notes Editor of the Georgia Journal of Intellectual Property Law and interned with the ACLU of Georgia. Following law school, she worked in the business litigation group at one of Atlanta’s largest law firms, where she defended a major credit reporting agency for claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Today, Ms. Hergenroether uses the valuable knowledge gained during this time to protect consumers throughout Georgia.

Degrees:

• University of Georgia School of Law – J.D. (2003)
• University of South Carolina – B.A. Journalism and Mass Communications (2000)

State Admissions:

• Georgia (2003)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Northern District of Georgia (2006)
• Middle District of Georgia (2011)
• Southern District of Georgia (2011)
• District of Colorado (2009)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• Eleventh Circuit (2007)

Amy L. Cueller

Of Counsel (Indiana, Wisconsin)

Ms. Cueller graduated from Indiana University School of Law in 1989, and since that time, has focused her practice in the area of general civil litigation and trial work in both state and federal court. Ms. Cueller assists clients with a variety of litigation matters, ranging from personal injury and commercial disputes, to the defense of intellectual property rights. Ms. Cueller’s litigation experience in intellectual property matters includes protecting clients’ trademark rights before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which is based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Cueller is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Association. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University.

Degrees:

• Indiana University School of Law – J.D. (1989)
• Indiana University - Bachelor of Science (1985)

State Admissions:

• Indiana (1990)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Southern District of Indiana (1990)
• Northern District of Indiana (1990)
• Indiana Supreme Court (1990)
• United States Supreme Court (1995)
• Eastern District of Wisconsin (2012)
• Western District of Wisconsin (2012)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2003)

Kenneth D. McLean, Esq.

Of Counsel (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee)

While at the University of Mississippi School of Law, Kenneth McLean served as the Managing Editor for the Journal of National Security Law, Associate Mississippi Cases Editor for the Mississippi Law Journal, and as the Director of the Appellate Requirement and Executive Board Member for the Moot Court Board. Following his graduation from law school, he worked at law firms in Mississippi and Louisiana, where his practice focused on litigation, appellate practice, railroad defense, medical malpractice defense, insurance defense and criminal defense. In 2011, he founded his own firm in Memphis, Tennessee, focusing on cases involving personal injury and criminal defense.

Degrees:

• University of Mississippi School of Law – J.D., cum laude (2002)
• Louisiana Tech University – B.A., cum laude, Psychology (1999)

State Admissions:

• Mississippi (2002)
• Louisiana (2005)
• Tennessee (2011)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Northern District of Mississippi (2002)
• Southern District of Mississippi (2002)
• Western District of Louisiana (2005)
• Western District of Tennessee (2011)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• Fifth Circuit (2002)

Brian J. Headley, Esq.

Of Counsel (West Virginia, South Carolina)

Since 2004, Brian J. Headley has practiced civil litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of actions. He has experience in cases involving personal injury, products liability, employment and discrimination, wrongful death, and environmental claims, and he also has significant appellate experience. In 2012, Mr. Headley started his own firm and focuses on representing plaintiffs in personal injury and consumer protection litigation.

Degrees:

• West Virginia University College of Law – J.D. (2004)
• West Virginia University – B.S. in Business Administration, summa cum laude (2001)

State Admissions:

• West Virginia (2004)
• Kentucky (2005)
• Pennsylvania (2007)
• South Carolina (2011)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Southern District of West Virginia (2004)
• Northern District of West Virginia (2007)
• Western District of Pennsylvania (2007)
• District of South Carolina (2012)

Joseph E. Blandford, Jr.

Of Counsel (Kentucky)

Joseph E. Blandford, Jr. has been a solo practitioner for more than 10 years, practicing in such areas of law as small business, employment, probate, personal injury, consumer protection, and general litigation. Further, attorney Blandford practices regularly before Kentucky boards and regulatory agencies, and appears in both Federal and State criminal matters and appeals.

Degrees:

• University of Louisville - J.D. (1995)
• Eastern Kentucky University, Bachelor of Science (1990)

State Admissions:

• Kentucky (1995)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Western District of Kentucky (1997)
• Eastern District of Kentucky (2001)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (2007)
• Federal Circuit Court of Appeals (2002)
• United States Court of Federal Claims (2011)

Trinette G. Kent, Esq.

Of Counsel (Arizona)

Trinette G. Kent earned her law degree from Loyola Law School in 2002 and began her legal career at the California law firm of Shernoff, Bidart, Echeverria & Bentley, representing consumers against insurance companies. She later moved to Arizona, was admitted to the Arizona bar, and worked at Surrano Law Offices, again handling insurance bad faith litigation on behalf of plaintiffs. Trinette opened her own law practice with her husband in 2010 and continues to devote the majority of her practice to insurance bad faith matters. Trinette joined Lemberg & Associates in 2012, representing consumers in litigation disputes against debt collectors.

Degrees:

• Loyola Law School – J.D. (2002)
• Middlebury College – M.A. in Spanish Linguistics and Literature (1997)
• Loyola Marymount University – B.A. in Humanities with emphasis in Spanish (1996)

State Admissions:

• California (2002)
• Arizona (2007)

Federal Court Admissions:

• District of Arizona (2007)

Appeals Court Admissions:

• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2002)

Ruth M. Allen, Esq.

Of Counsel (North Carolina)

Ms. Allen started her legal career as legal secretary. In 1988 she became a certified legal assistant. She has had experience in the legal field in government, law firms, and in-house in corporations, in Atlanta, Houston and Raleigh. In 2002, she enrolled into law school to further her career. Since graduating, she has worked for Legal Aid, which inspired her passion for protecting the rights of consumers. Now in private practice, she handles consumer advocacy, bankruptcy, estate planning, and guardianship law. She retired from the United States Navy, Reserve Component, in 2007 after 21 years of service.

Degrees:

• Maryville College – B.A. in Political Science (1980)
• North Carolina Central School of Law – J.D. (2005)

State Admissions:

• North Carolina (2006)

Federal Court Admissions:

• Eastern District of North Carolina (2008)
• Middle District of North Carolina (2010)
• Western District of North Carolina (2013)