Adams and Reese is pleased to announce Mary Kate Fernandez, Grant Leger, and Jeffrey Surprenant have joined the firm’s New Orleans office as Associates.
Fernandez’s practice encompasses a broad range of areas, including business and commercial litigation, regulatory compliance, and labor and employment disputes. She graduated from the Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law in 2020 and served as the Candidate Development and Symposium Editor of the Loyola Law Review. Fernandez was also a member of Moot Court and the Technology and Legal Innovation Clinic within the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice. Fernandez served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Ivan Lemelle in the Eastern District of Louisiana and, prior to beginning her legal career, worked as a production accountant on several films for studios including 20th Century Fox and A&E, as well as several independent productions.
Leger is a litigator who assists clients at every stage of a trial. He received his J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, in 2020. In addition to his J.D., Leger earned a graduate degree in Finance from LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business and his undergraduate degree in Finance from LSU in 2015. While completing his undergraduate degree, Leger was a linebacker for the LSU Football Team and was on the SEC Academic Honor Roll during his athletic career.
Surprenant is a litigator and a transactional lawyer who works as part of a team dedicated to clients’ success. He helps clients address transactional needs in the areas of tax and regulatory work, and maintains an active CPA license. He also handles litigation at all stages of a matter, including at trial. In particular, he focuses on matters involving products liability and commercial litigation. Surprenant graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he studied under the Civil Law Division and ranked second in his class. While earning his law degree, Surprenant was a William L. Crowe Sr. Scholar, a Case Note & Comment Editor on the Loyola Law Review, and a research assistant to one of his professors. Surprenant received his undergraduate degree in Accounting, summa cum laude, from Fordham University in 2014.