Marcel is the Managing Partner of Ballard Spahr's Philadelphia office. He has successfully represented large organizations and individuals through their most complex litigation and legal challenges—whether arguing landmark cases in federal and state appellate courts, litigating nationwide antitrust and product liability class actions, or conducting internal investigations following a public crisis. Marcel previously served as the City Solicitor of Philadelphia—the City’s chief legal officer and head of the 330-person Law Department, which represented the Mayor, City Council, and municipal government in all litigation, transactional, regulatory, real estate, and legislative matters.Marcel has litigated class actions seeking multibillion-dollar damages, including antitrust (monopolization, price-fixing, and unfair competition), product liability (mass and toxic tort; defective products), and consumer protection claims (false advertising and marketing). He has represented clients in numerous complex commercial disputes, including prosecuting and defending high-exposure breach-of-contract claims and obtaining emergency injunctions to prevent the misappropriation of highly valuable trade secrets. He has conducted comprehensive investigations for corporations, academic institutions, and government entities regarding antidiscrimination, civil rights, ethics, and compliance issues.As City Solicitor, Marcel managed all legal operations for the City of Philadelphia—a 25,000-employee municipal corporation—and oversaw the City's $55 million indemnities budget for tort and other liabilities. Marcel personally litigated some of the City’s most significant cases, including constitutional challenges to City ordinances and emergency actions to abate citywide public health threats. His tenure included defending the City's antidiscrimination policies in the U.S. Supreme Court and defending the Board of Elections in federal and state court during the 2020 Presidential Election. He recovered millions of dollars for the City by pursuing antitrust, fair housing, and public nuisance litigation. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcel advised the Mayor and other City officials on all emergency regulations. Marcel is the youngest person in Philadelphia’s history to be appointed and confirmed as its City Solicitor.Marcel presently serves on the boards of directors for several preeminent Philadelphia nonprofit organizations. He served as a trustee for the Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement, a nine-member board that manages over $5 billion in assets.
Listed skills include Commercial Litigation, Civil Litigation, Civil Rights, Class Actions, and 4 others.
