Danielle Marans
Danielle Marans is a Corporate Paralegal based in Greater Orlando with a strong background in corporate law, trusts and estates, legal compliance, and executive-level legal administration. She currently serves at Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, where she supports complex mergers and acquisitions transactions from intake through closing, prepares and files corporate governance documents, and assists with multi-state entity compliance. She also oversees firmwide registered agent services and corporate transparency reporting, managing a large portfolio of client entities while ensuring accuracy, responsiveness, and regulatory adherence.
Danielle began working in law firms in 2017, at the same time she became a new mother. Although she originally planned to pursue a career in Homeland Security, she redirected her path after earning her degree in criminal justice and discovered opportunities within the legal field. She began her career as a legal assistant and later expanded her experience in-house as a legal coordinator within the financial services industry at CNL Financial Group. Her transition to her current firm came after a trusted mentor and supervisor recognized her potential and encouraged her to join the law firm team during a period of organizational change, where she has remained for nearly three years.
Over time, Danielle advanced from supporting both corporate and trust & estates teams to taking on increasingly complex responsibilities, quickly developing expertise in mergers and acquisitions despite having no prior corporate experience when she started. Known for being adaptable, resourceful, and able to quickly master new areas, she now runs deals from start to finish, drafts key corporate documents such as operating agreements, and manages day-to-day client interactions related to entity maintenance, dissolutions, mergers, and compliance filings. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and her Master of Science from Long Island University, and she continues to expand her expertise through ongoing professional development, including regular CLE coursework.
• John Jay College (CUNY) - BS, in
Criminal Justice/Police Science
• Long Island University - MS, Criminal Justice/Police Science
• Queensborough Community College of The City University of New York (CUNY) - AS, Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
• Volunteers at homeless shelters providing food
• Planning to volunteer with organizations supporting homeless children
What do you attribute your success to?
My son is my main motivator in life. He pushes me to be the best person that I can be every day I wake up. When I first started working at my current firm almost 2 years ago, I had zero corporate experience, zero mergers and acquisition experience. I didn't know anything. Where I am today, being able to open and close deals with assistance from my attorneys and feeling more comfortable and knowledgeable, has been a really big accomplishment for me. I've been able to open up my knowledge and learn so much. Having the people around me who trust me, and having a good mentor behind me, is really where I'm grateful to be where I am right now. My boss has been the real reason for where I am today. If I look at the last 4 years to right now, my career has advanced so much because I had an amazing mentor and someone who always looked out for me and was on my side.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't hesitate, just go for it. The other piece of advice that really resonates with me is to do it now and ask for forgiveness later, rather than asking for permission first. Especially when you're working for lawyers who aren't always responsive, sometimes you have to make that best judgment call and hope that you made the best one possible. As long as I know that if it's an error and it can be fixed, then I'll do it. I would never do something if I think it's an error and I know it can't be fixed.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. When it might feel rough, sometimes that's the greatest start to something good. Anything that's too easy is too achievable, and I feel like life always deserves a little bit of challenges. Especially in work, you always need to be pushed in order to get the best product going forward. When things get rough, remember that challenges are what help you grow and become better at what you do.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge in any industry right now is being paid the value in which one should be paid. Because of the economy that we're in, a lot of people are desperate for jobs, and they're not fighting for themselves. This gives a lot of companies the leeway to feel like, okay, well, this person is willing to take this amount, why should we pay more? But I always feel like it's important to pay for those key value employees. Right now, this is the biggest struggle that I'm currently facing. Companies are trying to save a buck and cut their operation costs, but they're not being fair to the employee side of it. You're not getting the same value from people because they end up burning out, they're stressed out, can't pay their bills, and now they're looking for another job, so there's a revolving door going.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect, open communication, and integrity.