Kaja S. Elmer
Partner
kelmer@fishmanhaygood.com 
504.556.5535 
504.389.4088 Practice Focus
Litigation Practice, Fraudulent Transfer and Specialized Bankruptcy Litigation, Class Actions/Mass Actions/MDLsKaja Elmer is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Section and works on a wide range of commercial matters in state and federal court.
Kaja represents businesses in commercial disputes, investors and borrowers in securities fraud actions, and trustees and receivers in bankruptcy-related litigation in state and federal court. She handles matters involving statutory violations, breach of contract, misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Kaja also represents plaintiffs in class action litigation, including acting as counsel for a nationwide class of student loan debtors in a recent nationwide settlement with Navient Solutions, LLC and Navient Credit Finance Corporation (“Navient”) which resulted in in approximately $236 million in debt relief for private student loan borrowers, as well as $44 million in cash compensation. As stated in the class action lawsuit, Navient and its agents refused to recognize the discharges of these private student loans that were (a) to attend non-Title IV schools and programs or (b) made in excess of the cost of attendance, and then continued to collect on the loans even after borrowers obtained bankruptcy discharges.
Prior to joining Fishman Haygood, Kaja practiced litigation at a large national law firm and New Orleans-based firms. She has prior experience litigating consumer, commercial, financial, and insurance matters. Before entering private practice, she worked as a staff attorney at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Kaja often represents pro bono litigants in federal and state court and is a member of the Eastern District of Louisiana’s Civil Pro Bono Counsel Panel. She maintains a strong interest in civil rights, having participated in the Civil Rights & Constitutional Litigation Clinic at Seton Hall University School of Law, her alma mater. In connection with her pro bono civil rights representation, she has argued a post-conviction relief appeal before the United States Fifth Circuit. Kaja also understands the importance of female representation in the legal field and serves as a member at-large on the Association for Women Attorneys New Orleans Board of Directors.
She received her law degree, cum laude, from Seton Hall and was a senior editor of the Seton Hall Law Review.
Education
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J.D., cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law, 2013
- Senior Editor of the Seton Hall Law Review
- B.A. in Political Science and Journalism, summa cum laude, from Rutgers University, 2010
Publications / Presentations
- Co-presenter, “Calculating Damages in Investment Loss Cases,” Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants 2023 Forensic, Litigation & Valuation Services Conference (October 2023)
- Co-author, “The Risk of Mortgage Lending in the Era of Social Media,” The Review of Banking and Financial Services (November 2019)
- Co-presenter, “Breaking Down Privileges: Discovery of an Insurer’s Files in Litigation, It’s a Privilege to Know Your Rights,” 2018 Louisiana Claims Association Educational Conference (New Orleans, La.)
Representative Matters
- Represented a nationwide class of student loan debtors in a recent nationwide settlement with Navient Solutions, LLC and Navient Credit Finance Corporation (“Navient”) that will result in approximately $54 million in debt relief for private student loan borrowers, as well as $28 million in cash compensation.
- Represents a class of stockholders of special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”), TS Innovation Acquisitions, Inc. (TSIA), who were given misinformation, including inflated sales revenue, bogus hardware sales figures, and unrealistic plans for international market expansion, regarding its merger with Latch, Inc.
- Represents Brokenburn, Inc., in a lender liability claim against Cross Keys Bank.
Practice Focus
Recognition
Notable Rankings
Baton Rouge
100 North Street Suite 800
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
New Orleans
201 St. Charles Avenue Suite 4600
New Orleans, LA 70170-4600