About Milestone

John Bair holds over twenty years of diverse experience in the settlement planning industry, and the civil justice community at large. He is the Founder and CEO of Seventh Amendment Holdings, a company that provides comprehensive, plaintiff-focused settlement planning and management through its subsidiary companies, specifically Milestone Consulting and Monolith Advisors. He is the Co-Founder and President of the Bairs Foundation, a first of its kind 501C3 public charity providing low-interest pre-settlement funding to plaintiffs. Most recently, John has co-founded CrowFly, an online exchange that connects buyers and sellers of annuities.

A graduate of West Point, John served in the U.S. Cavalry for seven years as a Captain and Aviation Officer. He founded and was CEO of a national plaintiff structure firm from 2003-2012, before launching Milestone. John has advocated for bills designed to protect consumers and enable pro bono settlement consulting, provided services on over 10 major multi-district litigations, and worked on landmark cases such as the BP/Deepwater Horizon settlement, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing, the U.S. embassy bombing in Tanzania, and notable national aviation disasters. He serves on the board of the Casey Feldman Foundation and the End Distracted Driving Campaign. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice’s “Trial Lawyers Care” task force and AAJ Eagle PAC.

In his spare time, John’s an avid soccer, basketball, and hockey Dad. He loves traveling the world with his wife, Amy, and enjoys healthy competition in bocce, billiards, and cornhole.

As the Managing Director of Settlement Administration, Leslie George helps trial lawyers navigate their cases post-settlement. She is responsible for leading the Milestone team in providing strategic and operational guidance for attorneys involved in mass tort, multi-district litigation, and other complex litigation in settlement fund administration and distribution.

Having studied both business and religion at Niagara University, Leslie’s ability to get to know clients on a personal level and her eagerness to problem solve helped escalate her from case analyst and case manager to her current leadership role.

In her free time, Leslie likes enjoying a meal at a new restaurant with friends and family, seeing different parts of the country, staying active, and spoiling her French bulldogs.

Having over 20 years in the legal industry, Kristen Whalen brings a wealth of knowledge to the settlement planning world. As Director of Operations at Milestone, Kristen is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business. She manages processes, efficiencies, quality control, and policies in order to facilitate accelerating development and long-term success. She enjoys interacting with employees on all different levels of the company and constantly learning new things.

Prior to Milestone, Kristen received a B.S. in Legal Studies from Bay Path University in Massachusetts, and has served in roles such as Senior Case Manager for a national settlement planning firm, Paralegal in boutique law firms, and Operations Manager of a law office. Outside of work, Kristen enjoys making memories with her family, and she hopes to own a vacation home in the near future.

Rachel Mathews serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for Milestone and all of the entities under Seventh Amendment Holdings. After receiving a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies from Fordham University, Rachel has gone on to hold a variety of professional roles, all underlined by improving justice and the lives of others. She went from a paralegal in Manhattan to working in operations and client management in fast-paced startups in San Francisco, before moving back to Buffalo and joining the team at Milestone.

Outside of the office, Rachel enjoys traveling and exploring, being active, and being in the sun as much as possible. She also has a passion for public service and is involved in numerous organizations in her community, including Make a Wish WNY, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the WNY Women’s Foundation, and our very own Bairs Foundation.

As an attorney, Sam Dolce primarily establishes and helps oversee Milestone’s qualified settlement funds. Sam also provides in-depth comprehensive settlement consultations for attorneys and clients alike. By blending the skills of an attorney and a planner, he is able to ensure the best possible results for everyone who walks through his door. Sam is passionate about social justice, and firmly believes his mission is to keep the most money in the pockets of hard-working clients and their deserving families. 

Sam received a B.A. in History from Macalester College, followed by a J.D. from SUNY Buffalo Law School. Sam served as a participant in the New York State Pro Bono Scholar Program and has received multiple acknowledgements and awards for his dedication to pro bono service and social justice, including the Milton Kaplan Law and Social Development Award, and an official acknowledgement from the New York State 4^th Department for his Pro Bono Service.  Outside of the office and school, Sam is slowly transitioning his basketball game from that of a scoring point guard to that of the old guy at the YMCA who sits in the corner and hits threes.

As a Client Relationship Manager, Laura Fetto mainly works to build, maintain and strengthen Milestone and Monolith’s relationships with clients. She oversees client accounts to ensure they are meeting the needs and expectations of our clients, and handles Monolith’s operational processes. Laura also assists with qualified settlement funds, as well as settlement planning. She enjoys being able to play a part in peoples’ compensation processes and helping them feel secure in their financial futures. 

Laura received a B.S. in Political Science from SUNY Brockport, followed by joining the M.A. Program in Political Science at the University at Buffalo. She graduated from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego in 2017. Outside of the office, Laura likes to attend ballet class and cheer for the Buffalo Bills who are no longer disappointing.

Drawing on years of experience developing and executing communications strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Jordyn Burnell approaches the Milestone brands and services through a storytelling lens. She has worked in both agency and in-house capacities, and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations – with a dual minor in Spanish and theatre – from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

As the Public Relations and Projects Manager, Jordyn supports Milestone’s marketing efforts and oversees all PR and communications work for the firm, including media relations, brand collateral, and client engagement initiatives. In her free time, Jordyn likes to try new restaurants and experiences with her husband, practice yoga, plan her next trip to Disney World, and obsess over her perfect puppy Petunia and her new son, Beau.

Amy Fogle is the Director of Wealth Management for Monolith Advisors. She joined the firm in 2020 and is responsible for managing the client experience at Monolith. Her role encompasses all aspects of client-facing financial planning for the firm, in addition to conducting operations and processes related to the selection, onboarding and maintenance of our investment portfolios and trading.

With over a decade of experience in financial services, specifically wealth management, Amy’s previous roles include Strategic Relationship Manager at Nottingham Advisors, and Analyst at Citi. After graduating from Canisius College (where she also received an MB), she worked at JP Morgan Chase in the New York City area.

In her personal life, Amy and her husband, Ryan, have three little girls, Caroline, Clara & Colette. She enjoys spending time with her family outdoors when possible, and loves making time for little adventures.

Brooke is the Executive Director of Bairs Foundation. She started with the foundation in August of 2020 and oversees all operations, fundraising initiatives, partnerships, and finances for the organization.

Brooke has a diverse background with 15 years of experience in non-profit work and marketing and communications roles. She started her career working as a producer in television news before transitioning into marketing and events. She spent the last 5 years as the Marketing & Events Director at Olmsted Center for Sight now VIA helping raise awareness and funds for the blind and visually impaired community in WNY.

Brooke graduated from Oswego State University with a degree in broadcasting and communications. In her personal life, Brooke and her husband, Sean, have three kids Shea, Easton and Cyrus. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to new places.

As the Executive Assistant, Megan Van Rentergem works closely with the CEO and all team members at Milestone to prioritize among hundreds of projects and be a champion of new ideas and the best execution. She acts as an ally and resource for her colleagues and provides direct communication and support across all entities.

Megan graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelors Degree in Communications. Prior to joining the Milestone team, Megan spent the past six years working in commercial real estate where she learned the importance of prioritizing projects, and how to maintain a calm demeanor and produce quality work under strict, time-sensitive deadlines.

In her personal life, Megan and her husband Kody have a daughter, Madelyn, and a dog, named Norman, and are currently expecting their second baby. She enjoys running as a stress relief, going out to eat at new restaurants, and spending quality time with family and friends.

As Content & Communications Manager, Allison McClure supports Milestone’s marketing efforts through the creation of online content, search engine optimization, and the development of digital publications such as ebooks, flyers, and white papers. She also oversees the company’s social media management and engagement.

Allison McClure graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a concentration in editing and publishing. She went on to receive her Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Professional Writing from San Diego State University. With nine years of marketing experience in the legal industry, Allison has specialized skills in writing about personal injury law, civil justice, and settlement planning. In her spare time, she is actively involved in a variety of wildlife and environmental organizations and initiatives, most recently becoming a board member of Wild Virginia.

As a Client Service Associate, Mary Wyant is responsible for the overall client experience at Monolith. She works with the investment team to monitor client portfolios and investment models and execute trading. Mary conducts meetings with external portfolio managers to understand portfolio and security performance, positioning, and global economic outlook, in addition to overall investment policy. Mary is a cross-functional team member, helping to execute the variety of services our suite of companies can offer clients.

Mary Wyant graduated from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in finance and international business and a minor in Spanish. She has had various internships and full-time experience with equity research, CMBS bonds, treasury, investment management and business development. Outside of the office Mary enjoys all the restaurants and experiences Buffalo has to offer, as well as spending time with friends and family.

Kristen Rutkowski is the Director of Finance/Controller for Seventh Amendment Holdings. As Director of Finance/Controller, Kristen manages the finances and financial operations for all of the entities within the Seventh Amendment Holdings family. She owns the executive functions specific to reporting, developing financial strategies, and budgeting, and she oversees all of the accounting books and records for all companies.

With over a decade of experience in public accounting, Kristen’s previously served as Senior Associate at Freed Maxick CPA’s P.C. and Staff Auditor at Drescher & Malecki LLP. Kristen graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with two Bachelors of Science degrees; her first in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Economics, and her second in Public Accountancy.

In her personal life, Kristen enjoys wine and cocktails with friends, trying out new restaurants, hiking, golfing and traveling to new places. When it’s time to wind down she enjoys relaxing with her three-legged cat, Hatrick.