About Marianne

Marianne is an experienced investigative lawyer who left New York City for the Bay Area in 2014.  She spent nearly 8 years at Latham & Watkins LLP in the litigation group in both New York and San Francisco.  She launched her own office in 2015.  Marianne is admitted to practice law in both California and New York.  She and her family live in West Marin.

Marianne has broad experience representing individuals and companies in white collar defense, government and regulatory investigations, and complex securities litigation in state and federal court. She also provides legal consulting for other firms or companies who need help on special legal projects.

Representative Matters

• Represented an individual in connection with grand jury subpoena from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with a public corruption investigation/trial

• Represented a major international investment bank and certain of its employees with investigations (D.O.J., S.E.C., N.C.U.A., FINRA, and various state AGs) and civil suits (including False Claims Act suits) arising out of its securitization of residential mortgage loans

• Represented an individual (former investment banker) in a complex commercial litigation in NY Supreme Court

• Consulted for boutique Bay Area white collar firm on representation of former controller of public company in connection with lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which ultimately reached settlement

• Consulted for boutique Bay Area white collar firm in connection with representation of individuals being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

• Represented a South African company under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 

• Represented a second-generation import business under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for import of counterfeit goods

• Represented major investment bank involved in securities fraud litigation by investors

• Represented private equity fund in connection with investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

• Represented a telecommunication company in complex commercial litigation in the San Francisco Superior Court (resulting in post-suit settlement) 

• Represented individuals fighting California-based start-ups in connection with consulting agreements/options deals gone south

• Collaborated with boutique law firm on east coast on California-based pre-litigation disputes/settlement negotiations

• Pro Bonowork: 

  • Spearheaded and coordinated the Latham & Watkins’ Veterans Pro Bono Program

  • Successfully represented an individual from Belarus before the US Citizenship and Immigration Service in his successful applications for asylum

  • Successfully represented a death row inmate seeking post-conviction relief

At Latham, Marianne was heavily involved in firm management and the professional development of other lawyers and legal professionals.  She continues to mentor attorneys and non-attorneys in their development. She is a member of Joy in Law and Select Counsel.

Marianne loves helping and working with her clients.  She believes in efficiently, creatively and thoroughly solving problems – whatever an issue demands.  

Prior to Latham, Marianne attended Stanford University (where she studied economics and art history) and St. John’s University School of Law.  Between Stanford and St. John’s, she worked in magazine publishing in New York, both as a designer and an assistant editor at Saveur, the food magazine, and then as a legal assistant at Shearman & Sterling LLP.  She is a traveler who has been lucky enough to experience parts of Africa (Morocco, Kenya, South Africa and Namibia (twice)), Southeast Asia (Burma and Laos), India, South and Central America (Argentina and Nicaragua), as well as many haunts throughout Europe and most of the United States.  

• Who is Marianne?

  • She is a dynamic attorney with eight years of major law firm experience.

  • She has a proven ability to work collaboratively with senior management of public and private companies, including investment banks, private equity funds, and defense and technology companies.

  • She has extensive experience with complex financial instruments.

  • She has strong strategy and leadership skills; excellent drafting, communication and organizational skills; positive work ethic and strong collaboration across teams.

• How can Marianne help you and/or your client?

  • assist with financial, regulatory, and internal investigations

  • focus on fact gathering and analysis

  • coordinate subpoena response

  • interact with clients to identify and gather materials and facts

  • conduct witness interviews

  • provide overviews of client based on publically available information

  • analyze and synthesize client materials and facts

  • create chronologies of relevant facts

  • identify, locate, and interview witnesses for trial

  • act as local counsel

  • provide other ad hoc litigation support and problem solving

  • review options related to starting a small business

  • respond to a threatening letter

  • negotiate resolutions to pre-suit disputes

  • answer questions and discuss strategy about a contract dispute

  • research zoning and landuse issues

  • review leases and other contracts

  • discuss other legal issues and questions that arise

• With what areas of law can Marianne assist?

  • She has counseled clients with respect to regulatory-related issues and claims involving allegations of:

    • violations of state and federal securities law,

    • violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,

    • violations of the False Claims Act,

    • trafficking in counterfeit goods,

    • breach of contract, and

    • breach of fiduciary duties.

• With which regulators?

  • She has advised clients facing investigations by:

    • the U.S. Department of Justice,

    • the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,

    • the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority,

    • state attorneys general,

    • the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and

    • the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.