Marilyn Heffley

Partner

Education

  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, 1984, J.D.
  • University of Pittsburgh, 1981, B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa; University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Scholar and Marshall Scholar

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey

Court Admissions

  • State Supreme Court - Pennsylvania
  • State Supreme Court - New Jersey
  • U.S. Court of Appeals - Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - District of New Jersey

Marilyn is an experienced litigator who has tried over 25 cases to verdict and argued appellate issues before all state and federal appellate courts in Pennsylvania. She has represented clients in a wide array of financial services litigation, both in putative class actions and individual lawsuits. Representative matters have included defending lenders in actions alleging claims under the Truth In Lending Act, the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, state consumer fraud statutes and in administrative proceedings alleging discrimination in lending before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and state agencies. Marilyn has also represented clients in a broad range of employment, environmental, insurance and products liability litigation matters. In 2009, she was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.

Marilyn served as Sunoco, Inc.’s Assistant General Counsel and Chief Litigation Counsel from November 2005 to May 2011. At Sunoco, Marilyn founded the litigation group in the company’s legal department, oversaw a 15-member staff, managed the company’s nationwide litigation portfolio and records management program, and implemented internal e-discovery protocols and policies and procedures for outside counsel.  In 2010, she was named Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel-America.

Employment History

  • 2011 - Reed Smith
  • 2005 - Sunoco
    • Assistant General Counsel and Chief Litigation Counsel
  • 1985 - Reed Smith
    • Elected partner in 1994

Honors & Awards

  • Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rated
  • 2010 Recipient of Delaware Valley Chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel-America Outstanding In-House Counsel Award
  • 2009 Inducted as Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
  • Named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2008, 2009 and 2013 by Pennsylvania Super Lawyer magazine

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Executive Committee Member, Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Section
  • Executive Committee Member, Philadelphia Brehon Law Society 
  • Member, Investigative Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention
  • Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association Judicial Administration Committee
  • Member, Community Legal Services Leadership Council
  • Member, Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel
  • Member, Temple American Inn of Court
  • Member, Philadelphia Forum of Executive Women
  • Board Member, Community Legal Services