Overview
Marie has been an attorney for over thirty years and has experience handling complex cases, including employment discrimination, civil rights, mass tort matters, personal injury, medical malpractice litigation, and pharmaceutical litigation. Marie earned her J.D. from St. John’s University Law School, her L.L.M. degree from NYU School of Law as well as an Environmental Law L.L.M. from Lewis and Clark Law School. She has worked for the New York Appellate Division, 2nd Department and has taught CLE courses on Tort and Civil Procedure at St. John’s University School of Law.
As a founding partner, Marie plays an integral role in achieving the multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in the firm’s many practice areas, including the $1.3+ billion settlement in the New York Opioid Jury Trial, the jury verdict for plaintiffs in the Ohio Opioid Trial (the federal bellwether trial against national pharmacy chains),the $640 million Flint Water Crisis agreement, and the $1 billion settlement in the World Trade Center
litigation. The firm continues to be at the forefront of national and noteworthy legal cases, including those involving anti-trust generic drug litigation, Aqueous Film-Forming Foam water contamination cases, where a $1.185B agreement with Dupont, Chemours, and Corteva was recently announced, and civil rights matters.
For her legal achievements, Marie has been recognized by her peers and the legal industry, consistently being named to New York Super Lawyers®, Best Attorneys of America and to The National Trial Lawyers for Women’s Rights – Top 10 list to name only a few.
She is a Board Member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and is also a founding Board Member and former President of the Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico (TLPR), a trade association bringing together top trial lawyers to share expertise, build partnerships, and to add value to the local Puerto Rico community.
Philanthropic Endeavors
Marie dedicates her time and generously supports numerous philanthropic organizations and activities. She was a board member at Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club, which is a youth organization in Glen Cove, New York, and a member of the Board of Governors at the St. John’s University, as well as the President of the Middle School Parent Council of Friends Academy. Recently, Marie and Paul Napoli provided a gift that provides for the establishment of the NYU Law Environmental Justice Laboratory (EJL), which will work with partners to address longstanding environmental racism.
As a breast cancer survivor, she creates awareness to fund research through such charitable organizations such as The Bone Marrow Foundation, Inc. Marie is an avid runner 
and has raised money by competing in the Long Island Half Marathon and the New York City Marathon.
Marie in the Media
Marie is also a legal commentator on a variety of legal issues and has appeared on such networks as Fox Business News, CNN, CBS New York, and ABC News.
With appearances on Court TV, Law and Crime Network Live, Dr. Oz, Newsmax, Rolling Stone, New York City’s WPIX-TV 11 News, TRT World and others, she provides well-reasoned views on topics from “biased male views toward female victims” in the case of the Playboy Model Murder case; “extreme, wanton criminal negligence” in the case of the Breonna Taylor case; the “unwarranted, ingrained notion of race discrimination” in the George Floyd case; and the need for victims of sexual assault to take their power back by filing civil lawsuits, as in the case of Charity Carson.
Additional cases she has assessed include the Jealous Lover Murder Trial — where she provided legal analysis on the multiple problems involved with a juror improperly communicating with her parents; the Teen Charged with Killing Two Kenosha Rioters, where she explained how it is up to a jury to decide whether it was murder or self-defense by Kyle Rittenhouse; The Tammy Daybell Effect on Chad Daybell’s Case, where she assessed the Courtroom vs. the Court of Public Opinion in Tammy Daybell’s death; and the responsibility of attorneys during COVID-19 when courts are physically closed.
Sampling of Marie Napoli’s Published Works
- In 1993, while attending St. John’s University School of Law, Marie Napoli had two of her works published: “The Lord in the Law: Reflections on a Catholic Law School”, by the St. Mary’s Law Review, and “Sexual
Harassment of Women in the Workplace: He Said, She Said,” by the St. John’s Journal of Legal Commentary.
- She continued to highlight the important issue of sexual harassment and discrimination with her 2017 piece “Lawyer Viewpoint: Marie Napoli on the Law on Sex Addicts and Weinstein”, published by Lawdragon.
- As the country, and world, continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, Marie co-authored “Opioid Crisis Costs: Is There a Cause of Action?,” with her husband and was published by the New York Law Journal.
- Marie then tackled the complex subject of human trafficking in her article “Lawyers Taking A Stand Against Human Trafficking” which was published both by the New York Law Journal and Lawyer Monthly. This piece focuses on the legal actions victims do have if they have been the victim of trafficking, a situation that is very difficult to escape. Many victims are hesitant to come forward to share their stories as they fear shaming and retaliation from their former captors. Marie clearly outlines the resources and legal help that is available.
- Recognizing the need for factual information regarding legal questions regarding the FDA and prescription drugs, Marie penned a consumer brief entitled “Protecting Yourself From Defective Drug Risks During the Age of COVID-19“. It discusses the need for a preventive cure, such as a vaccine, but how this urgent need should not supersede the safe scientific methods of clinical trials.
- As a follow-up to this article, Marie decided to explore vaccine safety issues more closely with “Pharma Liability, Consumer Rights And the COVID-19 Vaccine” which can be found in Lawyer Monthly. She writes about the fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines and how the expedited pharmaceutical and FDA process works.
Other Experience
- Napoli Kaiser & Associates LLP
- Kaiser & Hirsch
- Lawyer, New York, Appellate Division Second Department
- Law Clerk, New York State Supreme Court, Queens County Justice Freedman
Recent Cases
*Results May Vary Depending On Your Particular Facts and Legal Circumstances*
Ms. Napoli is leading her team to lobby the federal government to update Title IX to reflect the 21st Century. Currently for a school to be liable under Title IX an appropriate school official must have actual notice of the harassment and respond with deliberate indifference, an uncommonly high standard. We are seeking to change Title IX so that it aligns with Title VII, which is the standard used between ordinary employer-employee.
Court of Appeals: Ms. Napoli argued issues of Title IX and Section 1983 before the Fifth Circuit on behalf of our client who had been sexually abused by two separate school district employees.
An age and gender discrimination lawsuit was filed on behalf of Michele Gillen, a 39-time Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter during her tenure at CBS-owned and operated station WFOR-TV in Miami. The suit, filed in federal court, alleged that the newsroom was a toxic work environment for women who were often overlooked for important projects and spoken to in a harmful way. The matter was settled for a confidential amount a week before trial.
$12.5 Billion Settlement with 3M Company
Napoli Shkolnik, along with other members of the PFAS Settlement Steering Committee, is proud to announce a $12.5 billion settlement with 3M Company in the ongoing multi-district litigation over the contamination of drinking water with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) resulting from the widespread use of aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”). This historic class action settlement agreement resolves the claims of Public Water Systems across the country that have been impacted by actual or threatened contamination of their water systems with PFAS.
Judge Approves Historic $12.5 Billion 3M Settlement to Clean America’s Water Supplies
$1.185 Billion Settlement with Dupont, Chemours, Corteva
On June 22, 2023, Paul Napoli, along with the co-leads of the AFFF MDL reached a $1.185 billion settlement with DuPont, Chemours, Corteva to address PFAS contamination in public water systems’ drinking water supplies. This settlement was given preliminary approval on February 9, 2024. Once the court issues a final judgement, a 60-day period will begin during which class members can submit their claims forms to participate in the settlement.
Historic $1.18 Billion Settlement Approved with DuPont to Clean America’s Water Supplies
$750 Million Settlement with Tyco Fire Products LP
In a monumental stride towards addressing the nation’s PFAS water contamination crisis, Paul Napoli, along with the co-leads of the AFFF Multi-District Litigation, have achieved a groundbreaking $750 million settlement with Tyco Fire Products LP. This significant legal triumph will facilitate the remediation of drinking water sources for public water systems impacted by PFAS, a group of harmful chemicals found in AFFF. The agreement with Tyco was given preliminary Court approval by the Honorable Richard Gergel in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Napoli Shkolnik’s Paul Napoli and AFFF MDL Co-Leads Secure $750 Million Settlement with Tyco Fire Products LP in AFFF MDL
$316.5 Million Settlement with BASF Corporation
Napoli Shkolnik, along with Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead and Interim Class Counsel, is proud to announce a $316.5 million settlement with BASF Corporation (“BASF”) in the ongoing multi-district litigation (“MDL”) over the contamination of drinking water with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) resulting from the widespread use of aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”). The settlement was negotiated by Partner Paul J. Napoli and the other Co-Lead Counsel in the AFFF MDL and resolves BASF’s liability for claims held by Public Water Systems across the country that have been impacted by actual or threatened contamination of their water systems with PFAS.
Napoli Shkolnik Announces $316.5 Million Settlement with BASF Corporation in AFFF MDL
EPA Announces Final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for 6 PFAS
As a law firm at the forefront of litigation against PFAS manufacturers, Napoli Shkolnik applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) for its landmark decision to establish regulatory limits on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in drinking water. As legal representatives of thousands of public water systems in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (“AFFF”) Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”), the firm views this action as a pivotal moment in ensuring the safety and cleanliness of drinking water for the American people.
Napoli Shkolnik Applauds EPA’s Historic Action on PFAS Regulation in Drinking Water
$600 Million Settlement in the Flint Water Litigation
Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, as co-liaison and negotiating counsel in the Flint Water Litigation, along with interim class counsel and representatives of the State of Michigan Attorney General’s office, reached a landmark wide- reaching $600 million settlement with the State of Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), City of Flint, former Governor Richard Snyder, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and several other State and City employees in the Flint Water Crisis Litigation on behalf of the citizens of Flint, Michigan.
$320 Million Opioid Settlement
This landmark settlement was reached on behalf of Cuyahoga County (Ohio), one of the bellwether plaintiffs in the National Opioid Litigation, against four of the key players responsible for the opioid epidemic.
$650 Million Ruling in National Pharmacy Chain Opioid Trial
U.S. District Court for Northern Ohio Judge Dan Aaron Polster ruled that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart must pay over $650 million over 15 years and set up an abatement program to Lake and Trumbull counties. The ruling is the first by a federal judge that assigns a monetary amount against pharmacy chains for their role in the opioid epidemic.
The funds will be used in programs to address the fallout from opioid abuse the defendant’s marketing of opioids caused.
Jury Verdict in New York Opioid Jury Trial
The jury held Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Cephalon, Inc., Actavis, LLC, Actavis Pharma, Inc., Watson Laboratories, Inc., and Anda, Inc. responsible for causing a public nuisance.
(Napoli Shkolnik is Counsel to Nassau County.)
$1.1 Billion Settlement: New York Opioid Jury Trial
This settlement was reached with the three largest drug distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, in the first opioid jury trial.
(Napoli Shkolnik is Counsel to Nassau County.)
$50 Million Settlement: New York Opioid Jury Trial
Endo Pharmaceutical agreed to this settlement to end their involvement in the NY opioid jury trial, where the company was accused of its role in the opioid epidemic.
(Napoli Shkolnik is Counsel to Nassau County.)
$1M+ Sexual Harassment Mediation
Ron Jeremy Sexual Assault
- Recently multiple women have come forward to accuse adult industry actor Ron Jeremy of sexual assault in incidences that cover several years. Ms. Napoli represents one of the alleged victims and made it clear to Rolling Stone that “No, means no.”.
$1.2M+ Zadroga Award
$1M+ Zadroga Award
$233,400 Zadroga Award
