OUR TEAM
Attorney and Founder
Kristina M. Bergsten, Esquire
Kristina Bergsten is the owner and founder of The Animal Law Firm. She started practicing animal law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before moving to Colorado to be close to mountains and, of course, lots of animals! As a vegan, her passion for animal rights extends to every area of her life. Her current pet projects (pun intended) consist of writing, directing, and producing her podcast, titled "Fighting for the Underdog", founding a charitable foundation to help human and animal welfare organizations, writing novels, and spending lots of time with her furry children, Maggie and Sophie.
Kristina is a 2018 COBALT Class graduate, a Board Member of Colorado Voters for Animals and the Denver Indian Family Welfare Center, an active member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and a nationally and internationally recognized animal advocate.
Associate Attorney
Cerridwyn Nordstrom, Esquire
Cerridwyn Nordstrom is a legally blind attorney licensed in Colorado. She was born and raised in southern Colorado and attended the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. As a lifelong animal enthusiast and guide dog user, she is particularly passionate about the rights of service dogs and their handlers. Her capstone project in law school focused on current service dog policy and the ongoing struggles service dog handlers face.<br>Outside of work, she is a hiking enthusiast and loves spending time with her menagerie of animals, including frogs, a gecko and a pair of axolotls, Aurora and Moira.
Cerridwyn is an active member of the National Federation of the Blind, the National Association of Guide Dog Users, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the Colorado Disability Bar Association.
Kristina M. Bergsten, Esquire
Paralegal
Kelly Hathaway-Almstrom
Kelly Hathaway-Almstrom is a paralegal here at the Animal Law Firm and a current part-time law student at Stetson University College of Law! Kelly currently serves as the Executive Board Secretary of her law school’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and is an active member in various other environmental organizations on campus. She recently received a Master of Science in Conservation Medicine from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She previously worked as a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP). As a clinical sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation intern, Kelly helped rescue and rehabilitate cold-stunned sea turtles in New England, which included over 500 patients in the 2021-2022 stranding season.
Kelly became interested in pursuing a career in animal law while working towards her M.S. in Conservation Medicine. Being exposed to wildlife, agricultural, and domestic animal law issues through this program, Kelly became aware of the limited legal protections for animals and the strong need for advocates in this area of law. Kelly has a very spoiled pet tortoise named Tortilla!
Law Clerk
Shelby White
Shelby White is a Law Clerk here at the Animal Law Firm! Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Shelby graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Sustainability Studies and Government. Shelby has prior experience working at a mass torts law firm, Texas General Land Office, as well as an internship with the Animal Welfare Institute on the Animals and Family Violence team. Shelby is currently a 2L at the University of Colorado Law School and a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter! Shelby has always had a strong bond with animals and wanted to help them in any way possible. She stopped eating meat at a young age and has always advocated for animal rights. As Shelby learned more about animal law, she realized there is so much work to be done and help that is needed. It’s a cause that she is extremely passionate about and enjoys fighting for.
Shelby has a dog named Scout who just turned one. Scout is a mutt, super cuddly, loves to swim, and will eat anything (AirPods and passports are not safe). Shelby also has a tortoiseshell cat named Piper who is 4, very cuddly, but selective with who she likes. Lastly, she has two guinea pigs named Tofu and Grapes. Tofu is 4, loves to eat veggies, and is pretty calm. Grapes is 3, very loud and mobile, and only has one eye.
Kristina M. Bergsten, Esquire
Associate Attorney
Heidi Metroz
Heidi Metroz is an Associate Attorney here at The Animal Law Firm! Heidi is originally from Colorado, but she considers Las Vegas home. Heidi has a bachelor's degree in Criminology and a master's degree in Forensic Psychology. She received her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and she is currently working on her LLM in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School. Heidi has fourteen years of experience working in various positions in the criminal legal field before starting law school, but she focused on Animal Law while she was in law school. She has always been interested in animal rights and welfare, and she has spent many years volunteering at animal shelters and sanctuaries. Heidi was unaware of the extent to which the law could impact animals until she went to law school, became involved in the Animal Law Program, and started taking courses focused on Animal Law. Once she saw how much the law could do to improve the lives of animals, Heidi knew she wanted to pursue a career in this particular field.
Heidi currently has two cats! Selina is a 10-year-old tabby who loves to chat and is very sassy. Edward is a 15-year-old gentleman who is very affectionate, and he enjoys giving nose boops. Heidi also had a 15-year-old lab/pit mix named Shyla who passed recently. She was the sweetest girl, and Heidi still misses her dearly.
Associate Attorney
Noreene Sarwar, Esquire
Noreene Sarwar, Esquire is an Associate Attorney in New Jersey for the Animal Law Firm! She is a first generation Bengali American from Bergen County, New Jersey. Noreene graduated from Immaculate Heart Academy in high school where she was president of Mock Trial and participated in theater as she loves music and singing. She then went on to graduate from Drew University with a degree in Political Science with a concentration in Global Politics and Women’s Gender Studies. Noreene then went on to graduate from Touro Law, where she participated in the Immigration Law Clinic, an externship with L.I. Against Domestic Violence, and continued her passion for helping people.<br>Noreene was recognized as a Pro Bono Scholar upon graduating from law school.
Noreene has worked at the United Nations, several grassroots organizations, and participated in aiding attorneys on matters before the United States Tax Court and the Supreme Court. Ms. Sarwar also has experience working in Tax Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, and Immigration Law. Ms. Sarwar has volunteered her time with the IRS and received a Pro Bono Award for her contributions. She has always wanted to provide a voice for the voiceless, and she is committed to the mission of creating law providing further protections for Animals and Humans alike. Noreene has two dogs, her children, Jayde and Jupiter. She has had Jayde for 11 years come December and Jupiter for 7 years in July. Jayde is a German shepherd mix and Jupiter is a Pomsky!
Kristina M. Bergsten, Esquire
PR & Social Media Manager
Hannah Grant
Hannah Grant is our PR & Social Media Manager here at the Animal Law Firm! Originally from Illinois, Hannah moved to Colorado where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Zoology and a Professional Science Master's Degree in Zoo, Aquarium, & Animal Shelter Management from Colorado State University. Hannah has had several internships working with both people and animals throughout her career. She was an Education Intern at Hawaiian Humane Society, as well as an intern at the W.O.L.F. Sanctuary in Colorado where she learned so much about animal welfare, community outreach, marketing, and more.
Hannah found that she could combine her many passions to help make real, tangible change in her position at The Animal Law Firm. Hannah has an extremely friendly hamster named Cocoa who loves meeting new people!
