Profile
Representative Matters
Presentations
Publications
Personal

As a litigator and appellate attorney, Marissa Delinks is experienced in all aspects of trial practice. She has successfully defended and prosecuted appeals primarily involving consumer financial matters relating to mortgage servicers, lenders, and trustees of securitized mortgage trusts, in matters alleging predatory lending, mortgage fraud, violation of consumer protection statutes, and challenges to mortgage holders' right to foreclose, and appeals involving alleged violations of TILA, RESPA, HAMP, FCRA, and the FDCPA in state and federal courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont. Her appellate experience also includes handling a wide variety of civil appeals in state and federal courts, ranging from contract law, insurance coverage, legal malpractice, and ERISA to real estate-related issues, constitutional law, and surety law. Marissa provides appellate assistance and advice to other trial attorneys during litigation, particularly in claims involving complex legal and statutory issues. Marissa also handles contested foreclosure actions in Connecticut state and federal courts.

In addition to her appellate practice, Marissa is a professional liability defense attorney and risk management advisor. Her litigation practice includes defending civil actions brought against lawyers, accountants, directors and officers, insurance agents and brokers, real estate professionals and property managers, financial advisors, notaries, and technology professionals. She also defends attorneys in disciplinary actions before the Board of Bar Overseers and provides risk management and ethics advice to lawyers and law firms.

Marissa joined Hinshaw's Boston office upon its opening in 2005 and previously practiced law in the firm's Ft. Lauderdale office. She is the leader of Hinshaw’s national Professional Responsibility, Professional Liability & Risk Management Practice Group, a member of the pro bono committee, and the firm's Northeast coordinator for firm pro bono projects. Marissa formerly served on the Executive Committee, was the Business Development Partner of the Professionals Practice Group, and chaired the Professional Lines Practice Group.

Prior to joining Hinshaw, she was a branch director in the legal division of Spherion Corporation, a Fortune 500 human capital management company. In addition, Marissa was an attorney director for the Miami office of the Wallace Law Registry. She also spent three years as an associate with a Boca Raton-based law firm, and during law school, she completed a judicial internship with the Honorable Stephen T. Brown, United States Magistrate, Southern District of Florida.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • The Florida Bar
  • Women's Bar Association

Honors & Awards

  • Professional
    • Selected as a Northeast Trailblazer by The American Lawyer, 2022
    • Recognized as a "Top Women of Law" honoree by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2021
    • Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by New England Super Lawyers magazine, 2011 – 2018
  • Academic
    • Shepard Broad College of Law - Nova Southeastern University
      • Book Award in "Trial Advocacy"
      • Chief Student Prosecutor of Honor Code
      • Freshman Moot Court Competition semi-finalist
      • Recipient of the Leo Goodwin Scholarship Endowment

Representative Matters

Marissa has successfully represented clients in state and federal appellate and trial courts. Her published decisions include but are not limited to:

  • Gargano v. Liberty Intern. Underwriters, Inc., 572 F.2d 45 (1st Cir. 2009).
  • Phillips v. Prairie Eye Center, 530 F.3d 22, (1st Cir. 2008).
  • Reliance Ins. Co. v. City of Boston, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 550 (2008).
  • Cordi-Allen v. Halloran, 470 F.3d 25 (1st Cir. 2006).
  • Diamond v. Automobile Ins. Co. of Hartford, Ct., 890 So. 2d 1248 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005).
  • Acosta v. The District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community College, 905 So. 2d 226 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005).

Presentations

  • "Welcome and Opening Remarks," Hinshaw’s 23rd Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 6, 2024
  • Moderator, "Cheating Clients/Lying Lawyers: A General Counsel's Dilemma," Hinshaw’s 22nd Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 9, 2023
  • Moderator, "Sticks, Stones, & Sanctions: Words Lawyers Write and Say Might Hurt Them," Hinshaw’s 21st Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 2, 2022
  • Co-Presenter, “Reemerging for 2022: Ways to Protect Your Hybrid Practice,” New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, Webinar, February 3, 2022

  • Panelist, "2020 Vision: Significant Developments in Malpractice Claims," LMRM Conference, Virtual Event, March 2, 2021

  • Moderator, "Year in Review — Significant Developments in Malpractice Claims," LMRM Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 4, 2020

Publications

  • "Other People's Money: A Lawyer's Obligation to Safeguard Property Belonging to Others," The Quarter Hour®, Volume IV, 2008
  • "AICPA Standards and the Duty of Care: The Ceiling or the Floor," Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Journal, August 2007
  • Co-author, "AICPA Standards and the Duty of Care: The Ceiling or the Floor," Hinshaw's Professional Lines newsletter, June 2007

Community/Civic Activities

Marissa competed in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant in September 1990 and was named Miss Massachusetts that same year. During her tenure as Miss Massachusetts, Marissa served as the spokesperson for the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society.

J.D., Shepard Broad College of Law - Nova Southeastern University, 1994

B.A., University of Massachusetts, 1988