Maria Nan Alessandra

Maria Nan Alessandra

Phelps Dunbar • New Orleans, LA
Employment LaborEmployment LawFinancial InstitutionsHealthcareHospitality

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Contact

Email
Phone
(504) 500-4816
Address
Canal Place, New Orleans, LA, 70130-6534, US

Professional

About

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.

About Employment Labor Law

Employment and labor attorneys handle workplace legal matters including discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage disputes. They represent both employees and employers. Common matters include wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage disputes.

Credentials

Education
1985 Loyola University School of Law JD - Juris Doctor N/A University of New Orleans BA - Bachelor of Arts
Languages
English | French

Recognition & Involvement

Awards
N/A AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell N/A Listed, Best Lawyers in America N/A Listed, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business N/A Listed, Louisiana Super Lawyers N/A Top Lawyers in New Orleans, New Orleans Magazine
Publications
2003 Loyola Law Review Drafting Non-Competition Agreements in Louisiana: A Drafter's Dilemma
Associations
Louisiana Bar Foundation Fellow American Arbitration Association Member New Orleans Bar Association Member Louisiana State Bar Association Member State Bar of Texas Member
Speaking
2014 Big Easy Bootcamp Basic Training for Lawyering 2013 LSBA Annual Employment Law Seminar Employment Law Strategies: Laugh, Learn and Litigate 2013 International Public Management Association for Human Resources Conference A Change Has Already Come - Complying with the ADAAA, FMLA and Other Leave Requirements 2013 Association of Corporate Counsel CLE Best Practices in Using and Securing Modern Technology in Your Legal Practice 2012 New Orleans Bar Association Invoking the 5th Amendment in Civil Litigation
Updated: Mar 08, 2026