Chapter 4

Litigation
Patricia G. Gustin, CP, CFEI
Freelance Associates
3752 Brisban Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
PH:  717.443.3910

Freelance Associates

“There is no limit to what one can do when one realizes their true passion.” Thank you for the opportunity to share how this quote has served me well during my career.

Growing up in a home with seven siblings provided me with first-hand knowledge of flexibility, teamwork, analytical ability and a means in which to help the parents maintain law and order. Little did I realize how this, and my parochial school education, would shape me for the future? I had dreamed of one day becoming the District Attorney, or entering into law enforcement. After all, I had a good head start. Although these things were not in my destiny, many other wonderful things did happen.
My work in the legal field began in 1976 as a secretary to a state welfare fraud investigation unit. I then became the Assistant to the Chief Counsel for a newly formed state agency. After receiving my Associates Degree in Business Administration with a focus in legal studies, I transferred to another state agency, initially as a Legal Assistant. Later, I received a promotion to Agency Regulatory Review Coordinator. After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University in 1987, I became a statewide grant program manager, with responsibility for 14 nonprofit organizations and an $825,000 annual budget. I maintained a direct involvement in the legal field as agency liaison to our legal counsel and learned the field of non-profit law.

In 1996, I returned to the legal profession full time. Before long, I had embarked on a specialty –providing freelance legal support to a nationally recognized expert witness and his clients that include law firms, focusing on product liability, complex litigation, fire, and explosion related defense. One day, the expert offered me the opportunity to expand into the investigation field. How could I refuse! In four year’s time, I completed additional college level credits, a diploma program in private investigation, and passed both the Certified Legal Assistant, and Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator accreditation tests, all at my own expense and on my own time, while I continued to work full time and maintained a small business. I have completed several origins and cause investigations, and I am proud to say that all of the claims reached settlement before the initiation of a lawsuit. I enjoy my dual role, but know that if it was not for my grasp of the law and the mentorship of others, I would not have been able to excel in the investigation field. The passion burns brightly to this day. There is endless opportunity out there!