Atty. Marilyn J. Holifield
Marilyn J. Holifield practices in the general litigation area, with a specific emphasis on representing corporate clients.
Profile Summary
About Marilyn J. Holifield at a glance
Marilyn J. Holifield is a employment, business, and litigation attorney based in Miami, Florida, practicing at Holland & Knight LLP. Admitted to practice in New York, New York State Bar Association and Florida, The Florida Bar. Educated at Swarthmore College (BA). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Management (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Labor Law - Management (2026). Serands clients in Miami, FL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Marilyn J. Holifield practices in the general litigation area, with a specific emphasis on representing corporate clients
- Her practice includes employment, business litigation, corporate governance, trade secrets, covenants-not-to-compete, class action and intellectual property litigation
- Ms. Holifield has represented corporate clients as lead counsel in jury and nonjury trials, arbitrations and administrative proceedings
- Ms. Holifield practices employment law and was named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of America’s top employment lawyers
- Ms. Holifield was also named one of South Florida’s 25 most successful and prominent black business women by Network Miami magazine
- For five years, Ms. Holifield was an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City, where she was responsible for litigating class action employment and prison reform lawsuits before federal trial and appellate courts in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Illinois and New York
- She was the General Counsel for the New York State Division for Youth and a law clerk for Judge Paul H. Roney of the United States (former) Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- When Ms. Holifield was named the 2000 Chesterfield Smith Lawyer, she received the outstanding lawyer of the year award, the highest honor the firm awards to a lawyer
- Ms. Holifield has served on the Directors Committee of Holland & Knight and the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College
- She has also served as a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, and Executive Council of Florida Bar Labor and Employment Section
- She has given continuing legal education lectures on alternative dispute resolution, employment law, trial practice, defamation law and corporate governance for the American Bar Association Litigation Section, The Florida Bar, National Bar Association, Caribbean Commercial Law Workshop and the American Law Institute
- The federal district judges of the Southern District of Florida selected Ms. Holifield to serve on the magistrate selection panel that pre-screened candidates for magistrate positions
- Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio appointed Ms. Holifield to the federal Judicial Nominating Commission for the Southern District of Florida
- She has also served on the Ad Hoc Rules and Procedure Committee for the United States District Court of the Southern District of Florida
- Ms. Holifield served two terms as chairperson of the ABA Conference of Minority Partners in Majority/Corporate Law Firms and as a member of the ABA Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession
- The Governor of Florida appointed Ms. Holifield as a co-chair of the 1994 Summit of the Americas, which included historic meetings of the Heads of State of 34 countries in this hemisphere
Practice Areas Explained
Marilyn J. Holifield's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Marilyn J. Holifield handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Marilyn J. Holifield is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Florida →
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Marilyn J. Holifield is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Florida →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Marilyn J. Holifield is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Florida →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Florida
Practicing law in Florida. Legal matters in Florida are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Miami are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Florida state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Florida brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Florida courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Florida attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Miami or all attorneys in Florida.
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