Marisa K. McConnell

Regulatory Attorney

Marisa advises clients navigating evolving regulatory landscapes, with a focus on mobility and emerging technologies. Her practice encompasses the federal, state, and local requirements that shape how new products and technologies are developed, deployed, and operated.

A significant part of Marisa’s practice involves autonomous and connected vehicles. She works with companies developing emerging transportation technologies to interpret new and existing laws, assess regulatory developments, and translate legal requirements into practical guidance for their operations. Her work spans vehicle and transportation regulation, regulatory strategy, trade and import requirements, privacy, and other issues affecting companies operating in highly regulated and evolving industries.

Marisa also advises on legal issues affecting children and families, including federal and state laws governing children’s and teens’ online privacy and digital services. She maintains a fertility and assisted reproduction practice, representing intended parents, surrogates, and others building families through assisted reproductive technology. Through this work, Marisa helps clients navigate Michigan’s evolving legal framework for surrogacy, assisted reproduction, and parentage.

Before joining Varnum, Marisa interned with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office and the Children’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. While at Georgetown Law, she represented indigent defendants through Georgetown’s Criminal Justice Clinic and served as a member of the Georgetown Law Journal. Her background also includes work with the World Health Organization and service as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Alaska.

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association, Family Law Section, Assisted Reproductive Technologies Committee

Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Author and Contributor, since 2023

State Bar of Michigan