Adams and Reese Partners Cassandra Walsh and Roscoe Green have been appointed as Co-Chairs of the Diversity Committee, which oversees diversity programs and initiatives across the law firm’s national footprint.
Walsh is a Corporate Services Partner in the Houston and Tampa offices. Walsh represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, transactions, real estate, and business operation matters, including contracts, entity formation, corporate governance, and corporate succession planning. Green is both a Construction Partner in the Tampa office and serves as the HBCU Team Leader within the firm’s Education practice. Green holds the unique distinction of being board certified by The Florida Bar in Construction Law and licensed as a Florida certified General Contractor.
Walsh and Green transition into the roles, following the 2024 Diversity Committee Chair leadership by Adams and Reese Partner Clarence Wilbon. Wilbon concluded his second term as Diversity Committee Chair as he was elected Chair of the Adams and Reese Executive Committee for 2025.
Within the Diversity Committee, Adams and Reese Partners Elizabeth Lee Maron and Diana Surprenant will co-chair ARROW (Advancement, Recruitment, and Retention of Women). ARROW is one of the firm’s leading diversity programs that serves as a resource of mentorship and professional development for female attorneys. The ARROW co-chair tenure of Adams and Reese Partners Maia Woodhouse and Amy Hanna Keeney concluded in 2024, after several years of their leadership and service.
Maron, a Partner in the Jackson office, advises clients in education law and labor and employment matters. Surprenant, a Partner in the New Orleans office and the firm’s Products Liability Team Leader, assists clients in oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, agricultural, hospitality, health care, and pharmaceuticals.
In addition to ARROW, Adams and Reese diversity programs include mentorship opportunities for attorneys and pipeline pathways for law students and legal professionals. Several programs include DAAP (Diverse Attorney Advancement and Promotion), the firm’s Summer Associate Program, and partnerships with NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline, ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship, AdvanceLaw Diversity Mentorship, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, among others.
The diversity efforts at Adams and Reese have been recognized in recent years by several legal and news publications and diversity-focused associations. Adams and Reese is a Southeast Law Firm “Diversity Initiative” honoree by ALM/Law.com; an “Outstanding Diversity Champion” by the Houston Business Journal; and a recipient of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association Approved SILVER Seal, among additional honors over the years.
The Adams and Reese Diversity Committee was first formed in the 1980’s, and since the firm’s founding in 1951, Adams and Reese has benefited from diverse leadership in a variety of capacities, including Executive Committee members, Practice Group Leaders, Partners in Charge, and client and practice team leaders. In 2024, Adams and Reese achieved Mansfield Certification for the third consecutive year – surpassing the national standard of widening the talent pool to increase diverse opportunities in leadership positions.
Learn more about Adams and Reese’s “Commitment to Diversity”