Vaneat Bellizzi has decades of law firm experience in a variety of positions and roles. She has been with Kreindler for the better part of those years. A true success story, she began her legal career as a receptionist and worked her way up to her current position, Chief Operating Officer. Vaneat has been a featured speaker at several Women in Leadership Roundtable Discussions in conjunction with Esquire.
Kreindler represents plaintiffs only and works solely on a contingency fee basis, so the day-to-day management of the firm often presents unique challenges. Vaneat is responsible for human resources, employee and partner benefits, payroll and accounting, and general law firm management. She serves on the firm’s executive management committee and is the only non-lawyer and non-partner to serve on the committee in the history of the firm.
Prior to joining Kreindler, Vaneat was the Accounting Manager at Davis, Weber & Edwards P.C. and was responsible for all aspects of finance for a 50-plus attorney firm. That firm later merged with Hogan & Hartson where Vaneat continued gaining experience with a focus on billing for the firm. Vaneat set her sights on finishing her education and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2005 from Metropolitan College of New York where she received her BBA. During Vaneat’s tenure with Kreindler, she completed her MBA at SUNY Stony Brook in 2008.
In her role at Kreindler, Vaneat manages a national litigation firm specializing in aircraft disaster cases. This position requires a vast knowledge base as Vaneat’s responsibilities are varied. She is responsible for all human resource functions, including staffing, as well as all EEO issues, termination and employee management. She recommends and implements changes to policies and procedures. She handles annual reviews, raises, bonuses and maintains personnel files. Full benefits administration is also part of her job description.
Vaneat recommends and provides best policies for shareholders and employees. As the Controller, full cycle accounting is also part of her role. She is directly responsible for financial reporting, petty cash, billing, accounts payable and receivable, and escrow accounting. Vaneat serves on the Administrative Committee and is responsible for the firm’s technology and office services. Vaneat’s most recent big project included the move of the New York office and she took on the task of making the office Green Certified.
Vaneat has many talents including her ability to interact with people at all levels and is very skilled at building interpersonal relationships and handles herself well under pressure. She is an innovator, continuously looking for ways to improve processes. Her extensive experience has given her the opportunity to write proposals for accounting system upgrades and has overseen the process from initial planning stage to final implementation at several firms. She enjoys project planning, coming up with a plan of action that develops and improves processes for ultimate business and client satisfaction.
Vaneat is married, an avid golfer and loves spending time with her grandchildren. She is a member of the Association of Legal Administrators National and NYC Chapters (ALA; ALANYC) and has served on several committees, several as VP, including the Nation Association of Professional Women (NAPW), Step Up Women’s Network and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Vaneat derives fulfilment from volunteering with many charitable organizations.
