Profile
With more than 30 years of experience, Ian S. Marx represents industry-leading, household-name clients (as well as individuals and entrepreneurs) in their most challenging, business-critical disputes both in his home state of New Jersey as well as in courts and before arbitration panels throughout the United States and its territories.
Following his graduation (magna cum laude) from law school, Ian had the privilege of serving as a judicial law clerk to a United States District Court Judge in the District of New Jersey. He then spent the early stages of his career as an associate in the litigation departments of Wall Street’s oldest law firm and New Jersey’s oldest and largest firm, where he gained valuable experience litigating cases at the forefront of the profession, including, most notably, the representation of a large pharmaceutical company in its litigated takeover of a competitor.
Ian joined Greenberg Traurig’s New Jersey office shortly after its opening over 20 years ago. He has been deeply involved in one of the state’s well-known litigation departments (recognized by Chambers and Partners in“Band 1”), which has been many times been named “litigation department of the year” by such industry publications as the American Lawyer, New Jersey Law Journal, Benchmark Litigation, and others. Ian and his team have represented one of the world’s largest vacation ownership company in numerous class and mass actions with billions of dollars of exposure and he has similarly represented industry giants in telecommunications, real estate development, pharmaceutical and consumer products, among other fields.
Ian is passionately committed to pro bono and using his voice and privilege of his position to advocate for constitutional rights and social justice. He has devoted hundreds of hours representing victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, political refugees, wrongfully convicted and abused prisoners, among others, closely collaborating with and representing such organizations as Rachel Coalition, Partners, KIND, Human Rights Watch, Innocence Project, ACLU-NJ, and others. Ian has developed particular experience in issues relating to witness identification testimony and its impact on wrongful convictions and has successfully argued two cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court (State v. Watson and State v. Washington) in which the court accepted his clients’ positions and made precedential rulings that will make criminal trials in New Jersey fairer by eliminating scientifically unreliable testimony and reducing the number of wrongful convictions.
Ian was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Association, has received numerous recognitions and commendations, and is routinely listed in such industry publications as Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers in the areas of business litigation and class action defense. He has fostered a strong relationship with members of the bar and the bench and has been appointed by the court in numerous instances to serve as special master. The New Jersey Law Journal named Ian a finalist for its “Attorney of the Year” award in 2023 and a finalist for its “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” award in 2024.
Concentrations
- Complex commercial litigation
- Disputes regarding corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and securities
- Litigation involving trusts and estates
- Partnership disputes and those involving closely held corporations
- Disputes involving real property
- General equity practice
- Bankruptcy litigation
- Consumer class action defense
- Litigation involving hospitality, timeshares and fractional ownership products
The attorney is providing legal services through and affiliated with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, a New York Limited Liability Partnership. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented a preeminent pharmaceutical company in Delaware Chancery Court litigation arising from the largest hostile acquisition in history, resulting in the successful consummation of a transaction valued at over $90 billion.
- Prosecuted complex claims involving approximately $500 million against a "big five" auditing firm arising from the largest insurance insolvency in North American history.
- Represented the interests of a prominent real estate developer in a complex partnership dispute involving, among other things, properties valued at over $1 billion.
- Frequently appears in court in emergent situations to obtain temporary and preliminary injunctive relief in a variety of contexts.
- Previously associated with a major New York law firm, Ian represented Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions and other business entities, and individuals in general complex commercial disputes, as well as those relating to the issuance and trading of securities and commodities, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America
- Commercial Litigation, 2022-2025
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, 2023-2025
- Consumer Protection Law, 2023-2024
- Finalist, New Jersey Law Journal, 2023-2024
- "Pro Bono Attorney of the Year," 2024
- “Attorney of the Year,” 2023
- Member, Winning Team, New Jersey Law Journal’s "General Litigation Department of the Year," 2024
- Team Member, The American Lawyer, “New Jersey Litigation Department of the Year,” 2022
- Team Member, Benchmark Litigation’s “New Jersey Law Firm of the Year,” Shortlisted, 2022, 2024
- Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2023
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Real Estate - Litigation, 2017 and 2022
- Team Member, The American Lawyer’s “Regional Litigation Department of the Year – New Jersey,” Finalist, 2019
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Banking & Finance - Litigation, 2017
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, New Jersey Super Lawyers, 2007-2012 and 2014-2017
- "Rising Star," 2007-2008
- Member, Winning Team, New Jersey Law Journal's "Class Action Litigation Department of the Year," 2016
- Member, Winning Team, New Jersey Law Journal’s "General Litigation Department of the Year" award, 2013
- Team Member, Lexology’s Client Choice Award USA & Canada, United States: New Jersey, 2013
- Named as one of the New Jersey Law Journal's 40 Under 40, 2007
A description of the selection methodology for the above awards can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Member, The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
- Vice-chair, Committee on General Equity Practice, Essex County Bar Association
Credentials
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J.D., magna cum laude, New York Law School, 1994
- Editor, New York Law School Law Review
- M.A., International Affairs, Drew University, 1991
- B.A., Political Science and Italian Studies, Dickinson College, 1990
- Law Clerk, Honorable William H. Walls, United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey, 1994-1995
- New Jersey
- New York