Hello Pups and Kittens and welcome back to a Thanksgiving hangover epiode of The Groomer Next Door. This week we're so fortunate to speak with one of the TOP attorney's in the United States. This week We're very fortunate to speak with Jessica Sleater. Before we get to know Jessica I would like to thank Dr. Laurie Coger for her inspiration to this episode. If it wasn't for Dr. Coger's Healthy Dog Expo in April of 2018.

Who is Jessica Sleater?Jessica J. Sleater represents clients in complex litigation in federal and state courts across the country. Ms. Sleater has significant experience in representing the rights of consumers and shareholders of companies in class actions, derivative actions and appraisal actions. In relation to this work, she has been counsel of record for shareholders on a number of significant decisions and settlements, including N.J. Carpenters Pension Fund v. infoGROUP, Inc., No. 5334-VCN, 2011 Del. Ch. LEXIS 147 (Del. Ch. Oct. 6, 2011), which recovered $13 million for shareholders. She also represents bondholders in their litigation against Argentina following its 2001 default, and her argument before the federal district court in Manhattan was profiled in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She also represents business owners and their companies in commercial litigation. Super Lawyers recognizes Ms. Sleater as a New York Metro area “Rising Star.”

 

Ms. Sleater is currently representing pet owners, who purchased a high-end pet food that led to the sickness and death of one of their dogs in the class action, Mael, et al. v. Evanger's Dog and Cat Food Co., Inc. et al. In another class action alleging a racketeering scam, Cisneros v. Petland, Inc., she represents customers of a national pet store retail chain, who purchased animals that were certified as healthy, but were not. She is currently representing customers of toll roads in California, who received receipts that disclosed more than the last five digits of their debit and credit cards, in violation of federal law, in Cohen v. F/ETCA, et al. She also represented consumers, who purchased e-liquids used in e-cigarettes that omitted the presence of certain toxins, in Greene, et al. v. Five Pawns, Inc.

 

She helped develop one of largest class actions of the housing crisis on behalf of homeowners for failed administration of mortgage modifications, In re Citimortgage Inc. Home Affordable Modification Program HAMP Contract Litigation. Ms. Sleater also assisted in the creation of the legal theory for class actions involving misleading labeling of certain products as “natural,” when they are composed of genetically modified ingredients in Briseno v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., Gengo v. Frito Lay North America Inc., Bevans v. General Mills, Inc. She was also counsel for plaintiffs/respondents in an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in an unanimous opinion for plaintiffs on a statute of limitation issue in Merck & Co. v. Reynolds.

 

Earlier in her career, Ms. Sleater worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-New York City Transit and was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri. During law school, Ms. Sleater served as a law clerk for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Also while in law school, Ms. Sleater was selected as the Editor-in-Chief of the Saint Louis University Public Law Review and served as an officer of the Public Interest Law Group.

 

Ms. Sleater recently wrote two articles on the legal industry that were published by Law360, The Rise of the Small Firm Class Action Business Model and Where are All the Women in the Plaintiffs' Bar?." Ms. Sleater also co-founded the Women’s Entrepreneurial Plaintiffs Lawyers Network (wePLn), a group for women practicing in the plaintiff’s bar that seeks to foster collaboration, business development, and career growth.

 

Ms. Sleater is admitted to practice in the courts of the States of New York and Missouri, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

 

Outside the office, Ms. Sleater volunteers as a mentor to homeless teens and serves as a member of the Associate Board of Covenant House. In 2012, she was selected as the Corporate Mentor of the Year by The Mentoring Partnership of New York. She also volunteers with RAINN (the Rape Abuse Incest National Network) to help survivors of sexual assault. She is also an activist for animals through various non-profit groups and has two rescue dogs.