Marlo Orlin Leach
Partner
Atlanta
Biography
Marlo Orlin Leach focuses her legal practice on tort, commercial, and environmental litigation. She defends product liability actions involving property damage and personal injury, including claims based on toxic torts, indoor air quality, and the manufacture and use of tools, machinery, and chemicals. Ms. Leach also has represented a number of clients involved in mold litigation, including a class action lawsuit alleging both personal injuries and property damage. She has spoken at national seminars on defending mold litigation cases.
She is experienced in a variety of complex commercial cases, including business disputes, real estate and partnership disputes, fraud claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, breach of warranty claims, complex contract matters, and has handled several cases involving claims arising from stormwater discharge. Ms. Leach is also experienced in the areas of premises, personal, and professional liability.
Ms. Leach served as coordinating counsel for both national and regional litigation, and has developed and managed coordinating counsel programs for companies facing multijurisdictional litigation. She also has served as national discovery counsel to several companies, including a Fortune 50 Company, for all of their general liability and product liability claims.
She has substantial first-chair experience in all areas of civil trial and appellate advocacy, including both bench and jury trials at the state and federal levels, and appeals in the Georgia appellate courts and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Her practice also includes working with clients through alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.
Ms. Leach is a frequent speaker and panelist has spoken for Lorman Education Seminars (“Use of Terms and Conditions in Purchase Agreements”; “Expert Witnesses and Trial Preparation: Paralegal’s Role at Trial”; and “Litigation Skills for Legal Professionals”); The Seminar Group (“What We Have Is a Failure to Communicate/ Electronically Stored Information Regarding Special Considerations when Conducting E-Discovery Under the New Rules”); and American Bar Association Tort Trial and Practice Section’s Trial Techniques and Business Litigation Committee (“Masters of the Courtroom: A Display of Innovative and Proven Trial Techniques”; “Visual Learning and Juror Behavior: When Bad Communications Happen to Good Lawyers”; “Jury Selection; “Direct Examination”). She has also spoken on “Current Developments and Decisions in Mold Litigation”, “Considerations in Defending Mold Claims”, and “Stormwater Issues and New Legislation”. Ms. Leach also writes on various topics, including for ALI-ABA’s publication, The Practical Litigator, “Common Themes for a Successful Trial and for Lorman Education Seminars, “Early Case Assessment Strategies for Paralegal”.
Active in the legal community, Ms. Leach is a Member, American Bar Association (Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section; Editor-In-Chief, Brief Editorial Board; Membership Committee, Chair; Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Vice Chair; Products General Liability and Consumer Law Committee, Vice Chair, 2004-2009; Trial Techniques Committee, Vice Chair, 2004-2006, Chair, 2007-2008); Atlanta Bar Association (Law School Outreach Committee, Chair, 1998-2000; Community Outreach Committee, Chair, 2004-2008; Litigation Section; Member, Law School Outreach Committee, 1995-2000); and State Bar of Georgia (General Practice & Trial Section; Product Liability Law Section; Member, Law School Outreach Committee, 1995-2000). She is a Fellow, American Bar Foundation, and a Member of the Editorial Board of The Brief, a Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Publication. She is also a member of the East Cobb Kiwanis Club, Board of Directors (2002-2009) and Moving in the Spirit, Board of Directors.
Ms. Leach earned her J.D., magna cum laude, at Georgia State University College of Law and received her B.A. from Emory University. She is admitted to practice in the State of Georgia; U.S. District Courts, Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia; Georgia Supreme Court; Georgia Court of Appeals; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
Education & Bar Admissions
Education
- Georgia State University College of Law, J.D.
- Emory University, B.A.
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
- U.S. District Courts, Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia
- Georgia Supreme Court
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
