Steven Saucedo provides valuable knowledge and experience in delinquent tax and delinquent fees and fines collections for clients from our Corpus Christi office. His work with Linebarger involves contract oversight and management, delinquent tax litigation, and related court appearances for over 30 taxing authorities over seven coastal counties.

Before joining Linebarger in 2002, Steven worked as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Austin and as a sole practitioner. His practice encompassed several areas of the law, including real estate. He also spent two legislative sessions as a staff attorney and legislative aide in the Texas Senate.

Mr. Saucedo received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Texas-Austin in 1991. He earned a Juris Doctor in 1996 from Oklahoma City University where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi Honors legal fraternity. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1998.

Kelly Burnette joined Linebarger in 2001 and has since focused exclusively on providing debt collection services to public sector clients in Florida.

He has been a practicing attorney since 1993, providing legal services in the areas of delinquent debt collections, construction law, non-criminal and misdemeanor traffic offenses, estate planning, probate, real property litigation, real property closings, zoning/variance applications and hearings, and representation of landowners in eminent domain/condemnation actions.

Mr. Burnette is a lifelong resident of Florida and an active member of the Northeast Florida community.

Mr. Burnette was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1993 and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. 

He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stetson University in 1991 where he was both a member of the Stetson Law Review and the Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. Mr. Burnette achieved his L.L.M. in Taxation in 1993 from the University of Miami.

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.

Steve Bird oversees daily operations for our Austin office, from personnel to collection strategies and client relations. He brings three decades of collection experience and management to the team.

After receiving his license to practice law in 1987, Mr. Bird began working for an Austin firm, where he gained four years of experience in ad valorem tax law and delinquent tax litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. He joined the Linebarger firm in April 1991 and currently manages daily operations for the firm’s principal office in Austin. Throughout his career, Mr. Bird has represented numerous taxing jurisdictions and courts of various sizes. He is licensed in all Texas State Courts and all Texas Federal Courts. He has been active in the Texas Association of Assessing Officers, the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts, and the Texas State Bar Association. Mr. Bird has taught numerous property tax courses throughout the state.

Born in New Braunfels, Texas, he grew up primarily in Bastrop, graduating from high school in 1979. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1984 from the University of Texas at Austin and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1987 from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas.