Marisa N. DeMato is a nationally recognized securities litigator and the Head of the U.S.
Securities Practice Group. With more than twenty years of experience in complex securities
litigation, Marisa is a passionate advocate dedicated to protecting the investments of public and
multiemployer labor pension funds. She 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 firmwide 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.