HEMMING & ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Prior to joining Hemming & Associates, P.C., Abdul Shakoor served as an in-house counsel for an insurance company based out of Miami, Florida. There he managed a heavy caseload of insurance defense and coverage lawsuits, which included attending mediations, arbitrations, and court hearings to advocate on behalf of his client. Mr. Shakoor is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida, Illinois, and Iowa. He is also a member of the Corporate Counsel Association and a member of Florida's Alternative Dispute Resolution Division through Florida Bar.

Brandon Cato has over eight years of experience practicing law in Oklahoma. His practice encompasses a variety of practice areas, including property law, tax law, estate planning, and general civil litigation. Mr. Cato is a graduate of Oklahoma College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree. While in law school, Mr. Cato was a two-term President of the International Law Society, a Research Editor for the American Indian Law Review, a mentor for the College of Law's first LLM class, and a member of both the Environmental Law Society and the Energy Resources Law Student Association. Additionally, Brandon was one of three law students in 2012 selected to travel to Uganda on behalf of the law school and work with the charity Pros for Africa. Brandon is formerly a Board Member for Project Transformation, an AmeriCorps program and local non-profit.

Charles has decades of experience in litigation, bankruptcy and medical malpractice. His legal experience throughout this period has been quite diverse. It has included being the chief legal counsel to five different municipalities, a wastewater utility authority and a community college. In addition, he has also served as the corporate counsel and a member of the board of directors for a number of private corporations. Mr. Hemming is licensed to practice in Michigan and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Charles Hemming dedicates his practice to serving his community. He strongly believes in empowering his clients with the tools necessary to achieve the justice which the law affords and which they deserve. Mr. Hemming graduated cum laude from Western State College of Law in Irvine, CA where he received his Juris Doctor degree. He is licensed to practice law in California, Texas, and Alaska and is admitted to practice in all four federal districts of California. Mr. Hemming is a member of the California Lawyers Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. He focuses his attention to the areas of bankruptcy law, family law, and medical malpractice.

Born in Southern California, Cole Yeargin received his B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2003, where he earned a degree in Law and Society. He received his Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in 2010 with a concentration in Business Law. Mr. Yeargin currently concentrates his practice to the areas of post judgment litigation and corporate law. He joined Hemming & Associates, P.C. in 2018 and is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Pennsylvania Bar

Donald Litman has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar since 1989, the District of Columbia Bar since 1983, the Maryland Bar since 1985, the Virginia State Bar since 1985, and the New Jersey Bar (in house) since 2007. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Antioch University in 1981 at age 22, and his Masters in Forensic Sciences from Antioch University in 1981 at age 23. Throughout his career, Mr. Litman has served as Head of the Litigation Department of American Patent Services and American Legal Services, as Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania in the Tort Litigation Section, trial counsel with Harleysville Insurance Companies, and has served as the general counsel of Autism, Limited, since 2004, a non-profit group dedicated to helping citizens on the autism spectrum being included in society. In addition to the work he does with a variety of non-profit organizations, Mr. Litman currently focuses his practice to the areas of Civil Litigation, Debtor/Creditor Rights, Bankruptcy, Education Law, Real Estate, and Forensic Sciences.

Douglas Crowder has been practicing law in Southern California since 1989. Since then, he has represented hundreds of bankruptcy clients and provided legal advice to countless individuals in the defense of debt collection matters. Mr. Crowder also has a great deal of experience representing clients with their family law needs and in business-related litigation. His book, Lawsuit Survival 101, is a layman's guide to defending and settling their own collection lawsuit and is available on request.

Lynda Jacobs is a graduate of Chapman University and Concordia University, Irvine. She has been working in the legal field since 2011 and was admitted to the California Bar in 2017. Since then, Ms. Jacobs has represented debt defense clients throughout California, and bankruptcy clients in all California Districts. In helping others to find debt relief and a fresh start, she has found a fulfilling purpose in her legal practice. When not practicing law, Ms. Jacobs enjoys playing piano and watching baseball (especially the Dodgers).

Rhonda Barton has been passionate about the practice of law, for as long as she can remember. She has more than two decades of experience in business defense litigation. Throughout her career, Ms. Barton has worked with a variety of clients including, but not limited to, "Fortune 500" companies, prominent property management companies, and large retail establishments. She received her Juris Doctor degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison. Ms. Barton is a member in good standing of the Wisconsin and Montana Bars. She is admitted to practice in the Federal Courts in Wisconsin and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Steven Lovern received his Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School in May 1985. Throughout his diverse career, he has represented hundreds of clients with their bankruptcy, family law and estate planning needs. Mr. Lovern is a member of the Indiana Bar and is admitted to practice in both the Northern and Southern Federal District Courts of Indiana. He is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Association.

William van Zyverden received his Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School in 1988. He is a member in good standing of the Vermont Bar and the New York Bar. Mr. Van Zyverden is admitted to practice in the federal court in Vermont and all four districts in New York. Mr. Van Zyverden is an active member of the Vermont Bar Association. *Practice is limited to the jurisdictions of New York and Vermont