Prior to arriving at Coffey Modica, Mariel was an Associate with a well-known regional defense law firm, where she achieved successful outcomes in many dispositive motions and achieved several favorable settlements in tort and workers compensation cases.  She also established a fair use settlement for an international trademark involving a wooden baby rocker design and mark in the U.S. Southern District of New York.

Mariel is a strong civil litigator in insurance defense cases that deal with a diversity of practice areas. She counsels clients in all phases of the litigation process and has an accomplished track record of achieving positive outcomes on behalf of her clients. She also provides insurance coverage opinion letters and legal counsel for corporations on intellectual property, data privacy law, professional financial services agreements, and regulatory compliance.

Mariel is a frequent public speaker in continuing legal education programs for the New Jersey State Bar Association and is frequently invited by local and national professional organizations to present lectures on topical issues in her practice areas, as well as diversity equity and inclusion, and cultural competence seminars.

Before becoming a defense attorney, Mariel practiced briefly on the other side of the “v.” in consumer protection and debt collection defense cases in state and federal courts. She was also a Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney appearing in adversary proceedings before the U.S. Bankruptcy, District of New Jersey court during her early legal career with Northeast New Jersey Legal Services. One of her proud accomplishments as a Bankruptcy Attorney was filing a tax lien foreclosure adversary proceeding in a winning case that helped an elderly homeowner avoid a tax foreclosure sale and stay living in his home, in one of the first cases of its kind in New Jersey. In re Heidt, Bankruptcy Case No. 19-32789; Adv. No. 19-2294, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey (decided Nov. 3, 2023).

Prior to practicing law, Mariel was a professional opera singer for four years, where she sang major roles as a soubrette mezzo-soprano with Aspen Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Worcester Forum Theatre and Virginia Opera.