Maria Nan Alessandra

Nan Alessandra represents employers in both the public and private sectors in the defense of discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims for age, gender, disability, race, religion, national origin, and other protected categories. Her litigation experience includes the defense of EEOC and other administrative charges filed through the various federal and state court agencies, as well as defense of legal claims filed at both the judicial level, as well as through the arbitration process. She has also represented clients on a wide variety of human resource issues and compliance issues and assists in developing appropriate policies and procedures, as well as provide onsite training to management and personnel on both employment related topics and corporate compliance issues. Ms. Alessandra’s experience for clients involves many different industries including financial institutions, educational institutions, public agencies, manufacturing companies, chemical companies and healthcare organizations.

Ms. Alessandra is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Neutrals for employment related matters in both arbitration and mediation. She has participated in a wide range of mediations and arbitrations as a mediator, arbitrator and advocate. As part of her mediation and arbitration experience, she has mediated and arbitrated a wide variety of cases in the labor and employment arenas, with both single and multi-party claimants/respondents.

As part of her practice in the Employment and Labor arena, Ms. Alessandra has adjudicated cases at both the bench and jury trial levels. In this regard, Ms. Alessandra’s industry experience has varied dramatically and ranges in the gaming, restaurant, engineering, hospitality and academic areas in both the public and private sector. Ms. Alessandra has also represented executives in contractual disputes and has an active counseling/advisory practice involving all aspects of labor and employment in both federal and state administrative agencies, including defense of civil rights claims and constitutional challenges.

Ms. Alessandra serves as the Practice Coordinator for the firm's Labor and Employment Group in New Orleans. Prior to going into private practice, Ms. Alessandra was a judicial law clerk upon graduation from law school and was judicial extern for a federal judge while she was in her last year of law school.