Jones Foster Welcomes Litigation Attorneys Mary E. Byerley and Ryan D. Lantz

Jones Foster, a commercial and private client law firm with offices in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, and Jupiter, Florida, is pleased to welcome University of Florida Levin College of Law graduates Mary E. Byerley and Ryan D. Lantz to the firm as associates in its West Palm Beach office.

Ms. Byerley and Mr. Lantz join Jones Foster following their participation in the firm’s 2025 Summer Associate Program, where they worked with attorneys across multiple practice groups on substantive legal assignments and gained firsthand experience in private practice, contributing to client matters, observing depositions and hearings, and engaging in discussions about legal strategy. The hands-on, collaborative program helped shape their professional interests, with Ms. Byerley joining the firm’s Trust & Estate Litigation team to concentrate her practice on probate and trust litigation, and Mr. Lantz joining the Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group to focus on commercial litigation.

“We are pleased to welcome Mary and Ryan back to Jones Foster as they begin their legal careers,” said firm Chairman Scott G. Hawkins. “During their time with us as summer associates, they demonstrated the legal acumen, academic excellence, and strong character we value in our attorneys. We look forward to their continued growth and the contributions they will make to our clients and our firm.”

Ms. Byerley earned her Juris Doctor cum laude from the UF Levin College of Law, where she served as Vice President of the Federal Bar Association student chapter and as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Journal of Law and Public Policy. She also served as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator through the Mediation Clinic and competed on UF Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Team.

Before joining Jones Foster, Ms. Byerley gained legal experience through clerkships and summer associate positions, including as a real estate clerk with a Gainesville law firm. She previously served as an Adult Protective Investigator with the Florida Department of Children and Families, leading investigations and collaborating with state attorneys on more than 400 cases.

Mr. Lantz earned his Juris Doctor from UF Law where he was a Chesterfield Smith Scholar. During law school, he served as a research assistant supporting faculty research involving artificial intelligence and energy use. He also competed on UF Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, winning a regional competition and advancing to the national competition in Chicago, and later served as Chair of the Arbitration Team.

Mr. Lantz gained additional legal experience as an intern with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Tallahassee, where he conducted land use and licensing research and developed a guide for recording easements. He also worked as a case manager at a South Florida law firm.