Her Story
About Marina
Marina Rached is a Litigation Case Manager and Trial Director for the Casualty Team at Marshall Dennehy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has approximately 27 years of experience in the legal field, having begun her career after earning a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. After a gap year, she started as a legal assistant and advanced through the support of dedicated partners who trained her and helped her progress. In her role supporting attorney Joseph Toddy, she oversees the full lifecycle of litigation matters, from initial intake and filings through discovery, depositions, mediations, trial, voir dire, jury selection, and verdicts. Last year, she assisted as second chair in three trials that resulted in defense verdicts. Rached is an active member of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Philadelphia Paralegal Association. She attributes her success to a strong family foundation, valuable partnerships, and her faith, and she emphasizes values such as integrity, accountability, excellence, professionalism, teamwork, respect, and continuous learning in her work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Marina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a strong family base and a strong partnership. Having wonderful partners who saw something special in me, invested in me, trained me, and helped me work my way up the ladder has been key, along with faith in God and discerning His path.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received is that your value is not determined by others - you determine your value. If you aren't feeling valued where you are, there's always somewhere else you can move and take your talent. Never give up and never stay anywhere because you think that is what is deserved of you. My father explained it like buying a Coke - the price varies by location, so go where your value is higher.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Ask questions. Never feel that asking questions makes you stupid or not knowledgeable. The only way to get places is to take the initiative to go and learn. People aren't going to come to you, so pick your boss's brain, define what your journey is, and don't be lazy about it. If you want it, go get it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is the evolution of AI coming into corporate America and the legal field with not much regulation yet. But it's also an opportunity because getting to know AI and starting at the ground base makes you invaluable with that knowledge.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my work, integrity, accountability, excellence, professionalism, teamwork, respect, and continuous learning because education is a journey not a destination. I take pride in producing thorough, polished, high-quality work and being dependable to help clients and attorneys succeed. Personally, love, family, faith and spirituality, kindness, compassion, honesty, authenticity, and loyalty are most important.
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