Marissa S. Ronk

Biography

Cases

Commercial Litigation

• Serving as national counsel for a major international company in commercial litigation involving over 180 cases of alleged PCB exposure.
• Achieved an exceptional outcome for a green energy manufacturer in a supplier dispute. Despite a product recall arising mid-litigation, WTO obtained indemnification and no future liability as part of resolving both the original claim and the recall-related issues.
• Achieved favorable resolution of a multibillion-dollar commercial dispute for an oil and gas company in an asset purchase dispute.
• Represented a client in a business ownership dispute resulting in WTO's client winning total control of the company without litigation.
• Favorably resolved multimillion-dollar commercial litigation involving breach of contract issues for a CBD manufacturer.
• Served as co-counsel to an oil and gas company in an $80 million dispute. During mediation, WTO helped effect a buyout solution resulting in valuable land rights and resolving the lawsuit for a small fraction of what it would have cost to settle.
• Won a $1.25 billion exit fee dispute for an electric distributor against its generation and transmission provider.
• Obtained financial and other relief for a manufacturer in business and trade secrets matters.
• Won an "extraordinary remedy" from the Colorado Supreme Court for an insurance company to reverse a trial-court order implying a waiver of the attorney-client privilege. The unanimous opinion establishes that the mere "fact that privileged information might become relevant in a given lawsuit could not alone be enough to establish an implied waiver."
• Recovered all funds claimed in a breach of contract dispute between two Fortune 20 companies.
• Represented a Fortune 20 company in an international arbitration hearing that resulted in a settlement, after the hearing concluded, for more than 90% of our client's claim.
• Won a Rule 21 petition (an "extraordinary remedy") for Ford to the Colorado Supreme Court in a case involving general jurisdiction and venue claims. The opinion makes it harder for companies with no connection to Colorado to be sued in the state.

Class & Mass Actions

• After prevailing on a motion to dismiss all of plaintiffs' nationwide class claims, settled all claims individually for a major appliance manufacturer in a class action involving the doors in all of its microwave ovens.
• Served as co-counsel in an oil and gas putative class action alleging violation of royalty rights. An early and aggressive discovery strategy persuaded the plaintiff to walk away from the matter.
• Serving as lead national trial counsel to a major U.S. distributor of vaping products in federal multidistrict litigation in California. WTO is liaison counsel to all of the distributor defendants in the litigation.
• Won a motion to dismiss with prejudice a putative class action in federal court in California. The plaintiff alleged violations of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and California's Rosenthal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.
• Represented a major Colorado manufacturer in its winning motion to dismiss class action litigation alleging illegal pesticide use.
• Defended several manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup in a multimillion dollar dispute in which plaintiff alleged her consumption of the product caused her diabetes. The Western District of New York dismissed the complaint with prejudice and that dismissal was upheld by the Second Circuit.
• Represented multiple corporations in various class action matters alleging recording of calls in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Negotiated dismissal of them all for a nuisance fee.
• Defended a national automobile manufacturer in a putative class action alleging economic damage resulting from repairs to the driver's seat. Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their case without payment.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

Presentations

• Presenter, "Artificial Intelligence Will Be a Litigator's Best Friend," The Trial Network (October 24, 2024).
• Presenter, "How the Plaintiffs' Bar is Moving Away from Reptile Theory Toward Strict Compliance," The Trial Network (May 3, 2024).
• Presenter, "Practical Considerations to the Reasonable Alternative Design Test," In-house counsel, (July 26, 2023).
• Presenter, "WTO WILLS: Taking Ownership of Your Career," (March 2, 2016).

Articles

• Co-Author, "Trial by Webcam: Tips From a Firsthand Experience," Law360, (May 28, 2020).
• Author, "Colorado Supreme Court, following US Supreme Court's ‘Bauman,' Rejects Broad General-Jurisdiction Theory," Washington Legal Foundation's The Legal Pulse, (October 31, 2016).
• Co-Author, "The Affordable Care Act and Colorado's Collateral Source Rule," Denver Law Journal, (June 21, 2016).

Press

• WTO's Marissa Ronk and Kaleb Gregory Author Bloomberg Law Article on Trial Attorney Tactics
• Benchmark Litigation Names Marissa Ronk to Annual 40 & Under List
• Benchmark Litigation 2021 Includes 23 WTO Lawyers
• Lessons Learned From One of Nation's First Virtual Trials
• Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell Elects Six New Partners
• WTO Leads Top 100 in Colorado Super Lawyers
• Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell Welcomes Three Associates
• Law Week Colorado, "WTO Brings on Three Associates," June 24, 2015.

Other Experience

Legal Memberships, Activities, and Honors

Personal Interests