Marian was born and raised in a small town in Co. Donegal, Ireland. Devouring books from a young age led to Marian’s early commitment to social justice and equality. From a young age, she has never been afraid to speak up for what is right, and has always stood strong for moral courage and protecting those most vulnerable in society. At 8 years old, she boldly declared her intent to become a lawyer.
With a strong and principled confidence, Marian gave birth to her son on her first day of law school, and he often attended with her when she was unable to find childcare. While in law school, Marian was heavily involved in student activism and national lobbying, holding elected positions as Law Society President and Student Union President. Onwards has always been her mentality, and following the completion of her third degree, including a Masters in International Economic Law, Marian emigrated to Canada in 2014 with her then young son and daughter, and 17 suitcases!
Marian initially started out in criminal defence, articling with the prestigious Evans Fagan Rice McKay law firm. She enjoyed a rich introduction to criminal practice with some of Canada’s most notable and finest lawyers. At the root of who Marian is, her heart has always been with protecting those who have been harmed through no fault of their own and seeking justice on their behalf. It came as no surprise that her career moved into civil litigation, and since then she has made significant contributions to increasing the standard of care for patients and everyday Albertans. Alongside medical malpractice, Marian also has a strong and distinguished reputation in personal injury and disability law, negotiating and litigating compensation for her clients. In her words, she puts herself squarely in the shoes of her clients, and fiercely fights for them as if they were her very own child!
Along with strong advocacy skills, Marian is best known for her warm personality and insatiable appetite for life. Outside the Courtroom, Marian can still be found in the fast lane – by her own admission she cannot sit still enough to watch Netflix and is always off biking, running, hiking or boxing. She is heavily committed to paying life forward and is a loud ambassador for education – she never misses the opportunity to speak with youngsters or young parents, in motivating them to rise up and smash glass ceilings, with her leading question to them always being “if I can do this, why can’t you?!”
Marian is a member of the Calgary Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and the Association of Women Lawyers.