Ooh-rah!! Merlin Law Group Hires a Marine Attorney in Louisiana
Have you ever read and viewed ads by attorneys who feign that by being what they claim is “aggressive,” they are “badass?” Lawyers can say and advertise anything on social media. Merlin Law Group sought out and is proud to have hired Harrece “Rece” Gassery, who truly served as a “badass” Marine infantry officer. Rece was deployed in Iraq and then Afghanistan. Thank you, Rece, for your service. Welcome to Merlin Law Group. Now you get to fight for American policyholders ripped off by their insurance companies.
Rece is from Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics. Since so few attorneys start off with a mathematics background, I asked him how he became interested in that field. He said:
I think I chose mathematics in error. I loved “Math” in grade school. I decided to make it my major without realizing that what we commonly think of math—geometry, trigonometry, calculus, etc.—are the building blocks. Math is the theory and solutions we use to prove that our operations will always work out. Once I got past my third level of calculus and differential equations and into theory, I realized I liked what we call ‘Pure Math.’ So, I stuck with it. It would have made more sense to go into some form of engineering.
For all the nerdy insurance readers of this insurance blog—after reading that quote and knowing his “badass” background, I know you love this guy and why I could hardly wait to hire him.
Shortly after graduation from Morehouse College, Rece received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Rece told me that he first considered law school at the suggestion of a friend while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. His billet in Iraq was as a Weapons Platoon Commander, but his command operated more “as a standard rifle platoon.” He described his deployment in Afghanistan as follows:
The second half of that deployment was the best! I’m not sure who the order came from, but I was later asked to stay at the Marjah Governor’s (really a town Mayor) compound with a small number of Marines. We were a District Stabilization Team comprised of personnel…who aided the local officials with their needs. In this role, I engaged in civil military operations by helping to build schools and oversee small grants that we were giving to locals. We still did ground patrols and some vehicle patrols. But our purposes were to check on projects…and making sure the schools were being built to standards…and on schedule….
After leaving the Marine Corps, Rece began studying law at Paul M. Hebert Law Center, commonly referred to as “LSU Law.” Rece practiced “Disaster Law” at a nonprofit and worked at the Orleans Public Defenders office. His wide range of experience has always been centered around helping others fight more powerful systems, entities, or corporations.
A true Louisiana outdoorsman, Rece loves fishing—both fresh and brackish/saltwater. When I asked him about his favorite fishing, he told me:
I’d have to say redfish. However, I’m increasingly a fan of catching Speckled Trout. I’ll get a boat one day and change my fortune!
Being a Gator and Tampa Bay Bucs fan, it was hard to hear how much Rece enjoys watching LSU sports teams and the New Orleans Saints.
People who know me know I am not shy to say that I am a fan of Martin Luther King. It takes courage to stand up for justice. In his undergraduate studies, Rece went to Morehouse College, a private and historically black men’s college. As one of the most illustrious black colleges, Morehouse College has produced many accomplished alumni, including Martin Luther King Jr., filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and businessman turned Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. Morehouse also educated the next great Merlin Law Group insurance policyholder attorney, Rece Gassery.
Thought For The Day
I didn’t dream about being a director. I didn’t know I wanted to do something with film until the summer between my sophomore and junior years at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
—Spike Lee
