Marla, a veteran trial lawyer and high-stakes litigator, understands the business needs of her clients and develops winning strategies relying on her meticulous attention to detail, advocacy, and determination. She has led trial teams to victory in state, federal, and appellate courts around the country, and has gained the reputation of a tenacious and highly respected advocate, representing her clients with relentless dedication.
Marla focuses her practice on representing employers in complex wage-and-hour disputes, class and collective actions, and discrimination claims under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, and state tort theories.
Outside of litigation, Marla leads high-profile investigations into employee misconduct and workplace culture and advises employers on litigation avoidance by providing practical and pragmatic advice on discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour issues, terminations, and reductions in force. Marla’s business acumen makes her an invaluable and trusted adviser to her clients. Known as a “lawyer’s lawyer,” Marla routinely provides employment advice to firms across the state.
A significant portion of Marla’s practice is focused on representing Pittsburgh-area colleges and universities with third-party investigations, Title IX compliance, Title IX/Sexual Violence policies and procedures drafting, and training responsible persons, investigators, and hearing panels.
Prior to joining the firm, Marla was the office managing principal of the Pittsburgh office of a national law firm where she co-chaired the women’s initiative and served as a core member of the Trial, Restrictive Covenant, Class Action, and Higher Education Groups. She is active in several volunteer roles in the Pittsburgh community and is a former professor of Legal Research and Writing at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law. She has served as president of the Allegheny County Bar Association and held a number of leadership positions within the organization.
Marla earned her B.A. from the University of Mount Union and her J.D. from the Duquesne University School of Law, where she was recognized with the Lynette Norton Award for excellence in trial advocacy. Marla spends her time outside of work running, cycling, and playing ice hockey with the Pittsburgh Puffins.