Marissa Edwards

Marissa Edwards represents clients in a broad range of complex civil and commercial litigation, with a special focus on defending major financial institutions against claims brought under state and federal consumer protection laws and banking regulations, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, and New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act.

Marissa has extensive experience handling individual consumer cases and class actions in federal and state courts across the country, including those brought by pro se plaintiffs. Marissa also assists her clients in navigating regulatory and compliance matters, including responding to civil investigative demands (CID), subpoenas, and matters initiated by government institutions.

Marissa helps her clients navigate all aspects of litigation from inception through appeal, and is known for identifying and executing creative and effective legal strategies, with the goal of delivering the best possible results for her clients, while minimizing legal and reputational risk.

• LGBT Bar Association
• Philadelphia Bar Association

• Professional
  • Recognized on the Rising Stars list by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine for Civil Litigation and Class Action & Mass Torts, 2023 – 2025
  • Selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation, 2021 – 2024; and Mass Tort/Class Actions, 2022 – 2024
  • Best Lawyers Business Edition of Women in the Law, 2021 – 2023
  • Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG), Diversity Law Fellow, 2012
• Academic
  • Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
    • CALI Award in Constitutional Law
    • CALI Award in Sexual Orientation and the Law

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• Secured a full dismissal for a national mortgage lender in a nationwide FDCPA class action, followed by a summary affirmance from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Obtained a preclusion order against vexatious plaintiffs and an order for attorney’s fees covering the full defense costs.
• Led the defense of an auto loan lender in a nationwide class action with potential statutory damages exceeding $250 million. Used motion practice to secure an early favorable settlement on an individual basis and dismissal of all class claims.
• Aggressively defended a national bank in a multimillion-dollar UCC class action, defeating extensive class-wide discovery demands and negotiating a settlement far below potential damages after opposing class certification.
• Achieved summary judgment on fraud and negligence claims and defended the ruling on appeal, securing an affirmance by the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

Marissa is an avid Philadelphia sports fan, Go Birds. When not in the office, Marissa spends her free time traveling with her wife, playing board games, and trying local breweries.