Marissa Parker

Chief Operating Officer

mparker@stradley.com

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Marissa Parker

Overview

As chief operating officer, Marissa Parker combines her legal experience with her passion for people-centricity to drive operational agility, profitability and exceptional client service. In this role, Marissa leads and directs the firm’s business operations — including compliance, growth, information technology and security, knowledge management, marketing, office operations, practice management and talent — and serves on the firm’s management committee. She works closely with the firm’s board to support the development and implementation of the firm's overall strategy.

A former practicing litigator for 15 years, Marissa represented and advised institutional clients in complex, high-stakes disputes across numerous industries. Marissa’s pragmatic approach to problem solving, commitment to achieving outcomes with short- and long-term value, and high-touch mentoring and training of team members — all hallmarks of her litigation career — are foundational to her role as COO. She has long embraced a growth mindset in the practice and business of law and a commitment to optimizing business operations through people, process and technology.

Since joining the firm as a summer associate, Marissa has served in several leadership roles, including as co-chair of the investment management litigation practice and vice chair of the litigation department. As hiring partner, Marissa redesigned the firm’s recruiting and interview process to focus on structured, behavioral assessments that reduced unconscious bias. Then and now, she champions practices to attract and retain a diverse body of highly accomplished lawyers and business professionals who are resilient self-starters — consistent with the culture of Stradley Ronon.

Marissa is a frequent speaker on issues related to law firm business operations; she previously served on Law360’s Legal Industry Editorial Advisory Board.

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Credentials

Education
  • J.D., cum laude, Temple University Beasley School of Law
  • B.A., Brown University
Memberships

  • Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Hebrew Public
  • Member, Stradley Ronon Management Committee
  • Member, Stradley Ronon Technology Committee

Publications

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News

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Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter, “Green Eggs and KM: Building a Firm-Wide KM Program From the Ground Up,” KM&I For Legal Conference
  • Panelist, “Managing the Modern and Evolving Work Paradigm,” ALAS Firm Administration Conference
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Recognitions

  • Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
  • Graduate, The Forum of Executive Women’s Mentoring Program
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In The Community

Marissa is committed to pro bono work, volunteering her time as a board member and furthering education opportunities in Philadelphia. As a member of the board of directors for Friends of Hebrew Public and a former board member of Minds Matter of Philadelphia, she supports accessible, high-touch, innovative educational programs for students of all backgrounds.

In her previous role as the firm’s hiring partner, Marissa led a 250-hour research and writing pro bono project with the Pro Bono Action for Community Impact in Pennsylvania — a partnership between SeniorLAW Center and AARP Pennsylvania — addressing best practices for remote court proceedings to increase equity and reduce bias, recommending legislative and social services changes for older LGBTQ+ community members, and proposing ways to enfranchise eligible older voters during the pandemic.

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