Maron Marvel announces its Shareholder Catherine Pyune McEldowney has been appointed Managing Shareholder, President, and Executive Committee Chair of the nationally recognized mass tort litigation firm. This is a milestone for Maron Marvel and the legal community as Cathie is the first woman and Korean American attorney to lead the law firm. According to NALP 2021 Diversity Report, less than 5% of all attorneys practicing law in the United States are Asian Pacific American women, with even a smaller percentage in leadership roles.
Paul A. Bradley, who previously served as Maron Marvel’s Managing Shareholder for over 15 years, is now the firm’s General Counsel, an inaugural position for the firm. Paul’s proven track record and knowledge of the business of law will be invaluable in his new role. President and Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee were previously held by the firm’s founder Jim Maron. Since 1996, the firm has grown to over 100 attorneys in 12 offices located throughout the country.
In 2003, Cathie joined the firm to help Jim Maron execute his vision to be the best toxic tort defense firm in the country. Since then, Maron Marvel has combined technology and litigation to elevate the firm’s national risk management team and other key practice groups to climb higher, smarter, and faster. “Maron Marvel’s national risk management model is rooted in tech-based solutions, cost containment, virtual teaming, and consistent results. It’s unique to the Maron Marvel brand and is the future of mass tort risk management,” said Cathie.
A trailblazer in her own right, Cathie has been practicing for over 30 years and does not want Maron Marvel to emulate the traditional law firm model. She explains, “Our Next-Gen leadership team is ready to be a catalyst for positive growth and success by empowering our attorneys and staff to be their authentic selves, continue to work smart and hard, and share the firm’s passion for excellence and client service.”
McEldowney also plans to bolster the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. “The only thing that separates women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups in our profession is opportunity. Jim Maron gave me that opportunity 19 years ago. I’m honored to carry the torch he lit 25 years ago,” states Cathie.
While Maron Marvel will continue to be governed by its Executive Committee, which Cathie will also lead, it added an Operating Committee to manage the firm’s daily administrative and operational affairs. Joining Cathie on the firm’s new Operating Committee is Shareholder Scott Henry. He assumes the new role of Vice President of Management and oversees the firm’s daily operations in addition to maintaining his active practice. Henry led a team of lawyers who joined Maron Marvel in 2017, starting the firm’s Midwest practice. Nancy Michener will continue to serve as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, which she has held for six years.
From the beginning, Maron Marvel attorneys had a passion for superior work product, a distinctive culture rooted in mass tort litigation, and an obsession with exceptional client service. These core values have remained at the heart of the firm’s brand and endure today. Through an authentic and consistent voice, Maron Marvel builds its relationships with like-minded people and clients who appreciate and respect the firm’s approach. The firm has 12 offices in 10 key jurisdictions with 100 litigation and trial attorneys.