Marisa N. DeMato

Marisa N. DeMato is a nationally recognized securities litigator dedicated to protecting the investments of public and multiemployer labor pension funds. With more than 20 years of experience in complex securities litigation, Marisa is a passionate advocate who has built her practice around safeguarding the retirement security of teachers, firefighters, police officers, municipal employees, and building trade workers across the United States and Canada. As the daughter of a retired detective and a nurse, Marisa’s commitment to public safety and the well-being of public sector employees is both personal and professional.

Throughout her career, Marisa has played a central role in groundbreaking shareholder litigation, securing significant settlements and implementing critical corporate governance reforms. Notably, she represented the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System in achieving a landmark $90 million settlement and historic governance reforms at Twenty-First Century Fox following systemic workplace harassment at Fox News. Her extensive litigation experience includes securing multimillion-dollar recoveries in high-profile cases involving LifeLock, Camping World, Rent-A-Center, and Castlight Health as well as substantial recoveries in actions such as In re Managed Care Litigation ($135 million), Cornwell v. Credit Suisse Group ($70 million), and Ross v. Career Education Corporation ($27.5 million).

At DiCello Levitt, Marisa serves as an integral member of the Securities and Financial Products Litigation Practice Group, playing a key role in case evaluation and development. She leverages her deep expertise in advising and representing institutional investors on opportunities to recover losses through shareholder litigation, guiding the firm’s clients from initial case evaluation through settlement negotiations.

Beyond her litigation successes, Marisa is a tireless advocate for women’s empowerment and leadership in the pension, investment, and legal communities. She has founded and led firm-wide initiatives that have earned national and international recognition for their positive impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including events shortlisted for awards by Chambers USA and Euromoney. Through her strategic programming and community-building efforts, Marisa continues to champion women’s leadership and economic opportunities.

A respected voice in the fields of securities and financial products litigation, Marisa is an accomplished speaker who has presented at conferences across the United States and Europe on topics related to securities litigation, fiduciary responsibility, corporate governance, and diversity initiatives. Her insights and advocacy have led to invitations to testify before legislative bodies, including the Texas House of Representatives’ Pensions Committee.

Marisa has received numerous accolades for her legal and advocacy work, including recognition by The National Law Journal as a Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer and by The American Lawyer as a Northeast Trailblazer. She has also been named among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America.

Marisa actively participates in professional and community organizations, including the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys (NAPPA), the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), and the Investors in Education Committee supporting the Neighborhood Youth Association (NYA), which provides educational opportunities to inner-city youth in Los Angeles.

Driven by a deep sense of justice and fairness instilled from childhood, Marisa’s approach to the law is defined by her commitment to ensuring that workers have a voice and a seat at the table when confronting powerful corporate interests, providing vigorous and compassionate representation to those she serves.