Biography | Mara Sackman

Mara Sackman represents businesses and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation. Her practice focuses on the defense of individual and class action employment and professional liability litigation. Mara has represented clients in all phases of conflict resolution, including pre-litigation settlement and appeals. She represents clients before federal and state courts and administrative bodies. Mara's cases include the defense of licensed California professionals, including real estate brokers, escrow agents and miscellaneous professionals.

Mara has successfully litigated claims through trial, securing a victory for her client in a highly contested PAGA matter brought against the owner of a waste management company. Mara also has successfully opposed petitions to the appellate court and Supreme Court of California.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Mara worked for the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. She has significant experience investigating and issuing written findings regarding claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and labor relations matters.

Education

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (J.D., 2019)
- Hastings College of the Law Haiti
California State University, Chico (B.A., 2016)
- Paralegal Certificate; Pi Sigma Alpha; The Hague University of Applied Sciences, International Relations Coursework

Bar Admissions

California

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California

Mara Sackman represents businesses and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation. Her practice focuses on the defense of individual and class action employment and professional liability litigation. Mara has represented clients in all phases of conflict resolution, including pre-litigation settlement and appeals. She represents clients before federal and state courts and administrative bodies. Mara's cases include the defense of licensed California professionals, including real estate brokers, escrow agents and miscellaneous professionals.

Mara has successfully litigated claims through trial, securing a victory for her client in a highly contested PAGA matter brought against the owner of a waste management company. Mara also has successfully opposed petitions to the appellate court and Supreme Court of California.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Mara worked for the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. She has significant experience investigating and issuing written findings regarding claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and labor relations matters.

Newsletters

Professionally Speaking

July 2024

Authors: Mara Sackman, Robert F, Merlo, Carole J. Buckner, Daniel E. Tranen and Michael S. Weisenbach

Catalanotti, Herman, Pham, Nytochka & Sackman Obtain Summary Judgment in a Highly Contested Insurance Broker Case

San Francisco partners Peter Catalanotti and Madonna Herman joined forces with associates Quincy Pham, Inna Nytochka, and Mara Sackman to obtain dismissal of claims of professional negligence and misrepresentation against our broker client by a winery based in Napa, California. Our client had assisted the winery in procuring and renewing a series of insurance policies for several years. Following the Napa Valley wildfires in October 2017, testing of the winery’s grapes showed evidence of a defect called “smoke taint.” The winery waited until early Summer 2019 to reach out to the client regarding the possibility of filing a claim with the carrier, and until March 2020 to file a claim through their new broker. In granting the team’s motion, the Napa County Superior Court found that the client did not breach the heightened duty of care owed by an expert in insuring the winery industry, and the client did not make any of the false representations alleged. This decision was particularly crucial because the client’s insurance agent passed away early in our representation. The most recent demand before the Order was issued was $1.75 million.

Peter C. Catalanotti, Madonna Herman, Inna Nytochka and Mara Sackman