This is archive.

Chris Moehnke

April 19, 2024

Chris Moehnke serves as Linebarger’s Chief Financial Officer, overseeing financial matters across the firm’s 49 offices nationwide since October 2016. Mr. Moehnke drives corporate accounting policies, collaborates with the firm’s financial institutions, provides financial reporting and forecasting for the firm’s governing body, and ensures compliance with finance and taxation requirements across the United States.

Prior to taking the helm as Linebarger’s CFO, Mr. Moehnke served as a Senior Audit Manager with Carneiro, Chumney & Co., L.C., (now BDO USA’s San Antonio office). Previously, he assisted on corporate audits as an audit associate with Coopers & Lybrand (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers). He supervised audits for corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations while also conducting internal control “best practice” engagements, assisting with fraud investigations and supporting development stage companies.

Mr. Moehnke has served as an advisor and board member for nonprofit organizations in the Central Texas region. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and received the university’s Outstanding Finance Student Award from the Financial Executives Institute. He was also a four-year letterman on the Bulldog baseball team.

Trevor Balderrama

November 13, 2023

As Chief Administrative Officer, Trevor Balderrama currently oversees all aspects of fees and fines operations and the computer systems that support them.

Mr. Balderrama brings many years of experience in information technology and project management, including eight years of governmental experience serving as a Management Analyst and Senior Management Analyst for the City of San Antonio and as a Management Analyst for Bexar County. His understanding of how technology interfaces with collections and legal practices to produce results for Linebarger’s clients makes him the ideal person to lead this division of the firm. He joined Linebarger in 2004 and served as a client liaison to facilitate contract implementations.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997 from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and completed graduate coursework in the Master of Public Administration program at UTSA. Mr. Balderrama is an Agile-Certified Scrum Master and certified by the Office of Court Administrators’ Collection Improvement Program.

Richard Haass, CISM, CISA

October 24, 2023

As the Chief Operating Officer for Linebarger, Richard Haass is responsible for improving the law firm’s effectiveness, managing the firm’s growth, and implementing the directives and goals of Linebarger’s Management Committee. Mr. Haass works with each office to improve operations. He also oversees all central firm operations, from human resources to accounting marketing, and the firm’s subsidiaries, including the Information Technology Group (ITG), which processes the data for all firm clients and provides communications, IT support, and network infrastructure for all the firm’s offices.

Mr. Haass served as the chief technology officer for the firm from 2000 to March 2016, responsible for all aspects of the firm’s communications and data processing infrastructure before assuming the position of chief operating officer. He began his career in 1990 at Linebarger as an area manager in the Corpus Christi office, moving up to office manager two years later. He joined the Houston office as director of operations in 1995, managing all aspects of the firm’s largest office before relocating to San Antonio to lead significant innovations in the firm’s technology infrastructure.

Mr. Haass earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas in 1990. He is a member of the Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA) and is also part of the local San Antonio/South Texas Chapter.

LeWayne Ballard, MBA, PMP, CISM, CISSP

October 24, 2023

LeWayne Ballard ensures that all firm technology operations and network communications occur in a fully secure and reliable environment. Mr. Ballard is responsible for establishing policies and overseeing end-user connectivity to ensure that the firm’s strict protocols are maintained for the law firm’s required security certifications. He also makes sure new technical initiatives comply with organizational security requirements.

Mr. Ballard is pursuing his Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. He received bachelor’s and MBA degrees in Computer Information Systems, with concentrations in Information Security & Assurance, from Texas A&M University at San Antonio, graduating summa cum laude.

He holds several certifications: Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Information Security Manager (CISM), Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE), and Project Manager (PMP). Mr. Ballard also participates in Infragard, the FBI branch tied to the public sector. This group has access to FBI-level security information not yet public, such as security threats and trends in the security tech and physical environment.

He volunteers with Meals on Wheels, Wreaths Across America, Adopt-A-Family, and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

Kevin Underwood

October 24, 2023

Kevin Underwood serves as Chief Compliance Officer for Linebarger and is an integral part of the firm’s statutory and regulatory compliance.

Prior to Linebarger, Mr. Underwood served as the Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs for AllianceOne. He is a former Judge pro tem and current member of the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts, Pattern Forms ad hoc Subcommittee on Garnishment.

Mr. Underwood is a past president and the former long-serving Legislative Committee Chair for the Washington Collectors Association and has served on various committees for ACA International, including as chair of the Judiciary Committee (2023-2024). He has worked on virtually all legislation in Washington related to court and government collections, drafting numerous industry-related bills that became law. He has lectured on collection and compliance subjects at the state and national levels.

He is admitted to practice in the courts of Washington; Oregon; Minnesota; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington; U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington; and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Underwood received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Washington, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law with honors.

Lori Gruver

October 24, 2023

With more than 30 years’ experience in collecting delinquent receivables, Lori Gruver serves as General Counsel for Linebarger, advising the Management Committee on law firm policies and practices for statutory compliance for all of our offices nationwide. Ms. Gruver also handles litigation against the firm, including the management of outside counsel, and advises the firm on matters of professional conduct and ethical behavior.

Ms. Gruver is certified by ACA as a Credit and Collection Compliance Officer (CCCO), a designation earned by completing a rigorous curriculum covering risk assessment, controls, corrective action, and advanced studies in collection laws, data security, privacy, and ethics. Ms. Gruver is also an Inside ARM’s Compliance Professional Forum (CPF) member. The CPF is a membership organization that helps professionals navigate the complex and fast-changing world of regulatory oversight. This in-depth range of knowledge on compliance strategy in the debt collection industry makes her a vital asset for our clients’ collection programs.

Ms. Gruver received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University in 1995 and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1998. She is licensed to practice law in Texas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah.