Mary Margaret
Spell
- Position
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Office
- New Orleans
Maggie Spell is Jones Walker’s chief human resources officer (CHRO) and leads all of the firm’s employment-related operations and strategic initiatives.
Maggie is responsible for all of the firm’s human resources activities, including administrative staff recruitment; staff professional development, advancement, and compensation; and attorney and staff benefits, in addition to wellness programs and inclusion functions. She works closely with firm and practice leadership to align Jones Walker employment practices with the firm’s strategic goals in a manner that helps attract, develop, and retain the industry’s top professional talent.
Among other initiatives, Maggie leads her team in conducting HR policy reviews, developing updated job descriptions, streamlining staff evaluations, and creating and implementing more-effective processes that help minimize potential issues and resolve problems quickly. Her top priority is to identify and pursue opportunities to establish the firm as an employer of choice, today and well into the future.
Maggie is uniquely qualified for this role. Not only has she accumulated significant leadership, management, operational, and HR experience, Maggie began her legal career at Jones Walker — first as a summer associate and then as a full-time associate until she became a partner in January 2017.
As a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Maggie focused her practice on cases brought under federal, state, and local employment laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. She also gained significant experience defending employers in breach of contract and employment-related tort claims, Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions, wage and hour class actions, and other matters heard in federal and state trial and appellate courts across the country and before administrative bodies such as the US Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Immediately before rejoining the firm as CHRO, Maggie served as director of operations at Magnolia Community Services, a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Magnolia offers support and services in more than 20 residential group homes through supported community living, vocational/day habilitation, supported employment, recreational, and wellness programs.
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