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101 TOP 25 WOMEN OF LAW JEANETTE F. FRANKENBERG Managing Member, Stern, Lavinthal & Frankenberg, LLC Full Service Default, Commercial and Real Estate Transactions, Commercial and Residential Leasing, Bankruptcy, Commercial and Consumer Finance, Evictions, REO, Environmental Law, Land Use and Development, Commercial Litigation Jeanette F. Frankenberg, a veteran in the de- fault and REO arena, is the Managing Member of Stern, Lavinthal & Frankenberg, LLC, the only solely woman-owned full service default law firm in New Jersey. She attributes her success to her strong work ethics, integrity, tenacity, and humble beginnings. To help clients stay current with emerging legal trends, the attorneys at Stern, Lavinthal & Frankenberg, LLC, share hot topics and "cases to watch" via a monthly update. "We continually invest in IT programming enhancements to create processing efficiencies, quality control check- points, and robust data security updates. ‡ese enhancements result in a superior product with a cost savings for our clients," said Frankenberg. While Frankenberg noted that the practice of law has grown to embrace women, she believes the glass ceiling still exists. "‡e current servicer trend toward bigger multistate firms is a setback for most women owned firms as the industry consolidation process favors older firms that tend not to be women-owned. I have joined organizations such as the American Mortgage Diversity Council and the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms to be part of the dialogue and hopefully, create change," stated Frankenberg. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 31 MICHELLE GARCIA GILBERT Managing Partner, Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A. and Sapphire Title & Escrow Company Default Servicing, Real Estate Litigation and Transactions, Business Law, Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship and Trusts, General Civil Law, Construction Law Michelle Garcia Gilbert planned on becoming a newspaper reporter and graduated with a degree in journalism to fulfill this dream. But destiny had other plans for her and an attorney she worked with while in college influenced Garcia Gilbert to apply to law school as a way of combining her ability to communicate with civic duty. It has been 31 years since Garcia Gilbert began practicing law and though she never wrote for a newspaper, she has combined her formidable skills with civic duty to help her clients win in the legal battlefield. "•ough I never became a reporter, I have written for industry publications. As an attorney, I have helped others to solve their legal problems, and as a business owner and Managing Partner, I have assisted my employees to live up to their potential," said Garcia Gilbert who, over the years, has also mentored and influenced other women to balance their personal and professional lives. For Garcia Gilbert, the challenges of the current legal landscape present entrepreneurial opportunities, which in turn allows her firm to contribute to the community. "We believe in to whom much is given, much is expected! For example, we sponsor local high school students who work at the firm in exchange for tuition assistance," Garcia Gilbert shared. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 31 RYAN E. HERTZEL Partner, Schiller, Knapp, Lefkowitz & Hertzel, LLP Ryan E. Hertzel started working at Schiller, Knapp, Lefkowitz & Hertzel, LLP straight out of law school and has since been named a Partner. She is an integral part of Schiller, Knapp, Lef- kowitz & Hertzel, LLP and has watched her firm grow exponentially over the last decade. Her abil- ity to see things from a different perspective and guide her clients and firm has resulted in favorable outcomes for both and has played a big part in the firm's growth over the years. "My goal as a leader within the firm is to foster an innovative team that is proactive instead of reactive," said Hertzel. "„e default servicing industry is a rapidly and continu - ously changing niche of law; it can be challenging and exciting at the same time. I believe the best approach to such an industry is to merge tradition and conventional wisdom with ingenuity and technology," said Hertzel. On a daily basis, Hert- zel is inspired by the team mentality and positive firm philosophy that she has helped create. "Our team culture— combined with our passion to consistently exceed client expectations— is what sets us apart. It anchors us in today's challenging legal landscape and will sustain us in the future," shared Hertzel. DEFAULT SERVICING NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 9