Podren Cynthia at 2560 Ninth Street, Berkeley, California.

My experience with this attorney was very poor from start to finish.

I mistakenly told her that a check I gave her might not go through (the check had already been paid into her account with no problem,) two hours later I corrected myself and told her the check had gone through, however, in the time inbetween she called me an "outright thief.'

Later, when she owed me unused retainer funds - apparently one check was lost in the mail, I had to plead for her to send me a replacement check. When she did, HER replacement check did not go through, as she had stopped payment on the check. At first, she denied it and insisted that I was not telling the truth. Later when she admitted that the check had been stopped, she blamed the bank.

After that, she wouldn't replace the stopped check until the bank or myself returned to her the one that she had stopped. Again I had to beg her to replace a check so that I could receive my unused retainer funds.

She then refused to replace that one because she suggested that I might try to deposit mulltiple checks from her, once again insinuating that I was a thief with no integrity. Remember now, she was the one who provided me with a bad check, and NOT the other way around.

I had to send her a payment demand letter that was provided by Alamda County Small Claims Court before she actually returned the retainer. All in all, from the time that she stopped providing legal services - over four and a half months passed until she finally refunded my retainer!

I am a single mother who provides sole financial support for my son, and I was going through what was probably the most emotionally vulnerable and traumatizing time of my entire life. Needless to say, Cynthia was aware of all of this.

Perhaps she is a good fighter when it comes to negotiating settlements, but don't get on her bad side. Her behavior will just add another layer of frustration and stress to an already painful situation.