Overview
A seasoned trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience in both the private and public sector, Marie's practice focuses on high exposure employment litigation and business disputes.
Marie is a determined and tenacious advocate on behalf of her clients. Known to be quick on her feet and a formidable adversary, she brings adept fact-finding, critical thinking, and robust litigation skills to each case, managing matters from early investigation through trial, arbitration, or the alternative dispute resolution process. Through every phase of litigation, Marie passionately defends public and private companies in matters involving discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and unfair competition. She has successfully represented clients in both single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits across a wide range of industries.
Marie has first-chaired more than thirty jury trials in state and federal courts and has briefed and argued appeals before multiple appellate courts. She is skilled in dispositive motion practice and regularly navigates clients through mediation, arbitration, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. In addition to her employment litigation focus, Marie advises on claims involving misappropriation of trade secrets, defamation, fraud, and contract disputes.
Before joining Constangy, Marie served as Senior Counsel of Litigation at Nestlé USA, Inc., where she oversaw litigation across the company’s national operations and helped lead the development of its e-Discovery platform. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Southern District of California and the District of Columbia, and earlier as an Assistant District Attorney, where she led trial teams and highly active departments.
Marie’s background includes extensive experience in complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal matters. She has handled high-exposure cases involving product liability, environmental claims, toxic torts, and personal injury, as well as disputes in the areas of trademark and copyright infringement. Her broad litigation experience enables her to assess legal risks from multiple angles and deliver strategic counsel tailored to the client’s business objectives.
About Me
Baseball is Marie’s first love. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, she cheers very loudly for the Cleveland Guardians, whether in the stands or on TV. She roots for the Dodgers, as her National League team. In addition, she is a huge Cleveland Browns fan. Marie is also a live music enthusiast and a regular at the Hollywood Bowl.
Credentials
Education
Columbia University School of Law
- J.D., 1993
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Stanford University
- B.A., International Relations, 1990
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Media
News
Professional & Civic Associations
Professional
- American Bar Association, Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, Member
Services
Industries
Admissions
- California, 1993
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court - CA - C.D., N.D., S.D.
“Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.”
Maya Angelou
