Murielle was a fierce legal advocate with an unerring ethical compass, a drive to right wrongs, and deep compassion. Strong-willed and persevering, she put herself through New York Law School, working full-time as a paralegal at a white-shoe defense firm by day and attending classes at night. After graduating cum laude and interning with the Kings County District Attorney, she chose to work on the other side of the “v,” joining Pomerantz in 1998 as an associate. Murielle rose through the ranks to become a Senior Partner and the Firm’s Administrative Partner, earning her ascent through successful prosecution of corporate wrongdoing.
Murielle led by example, taking on challenging cases in order to shift the balance of power within and beyond the corporate world. She led the Firm’s groundbreaking securities class action against Wynn Resorts, alleging that Wynn management covered up a decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct by Steve Wynn while publicly denying that Wynn had engaged in any wrongdoing. In January 2025, the Court granted final approval to a $70 million settlement on behalf of defrauded investors. This is one of the largest—if not the largest—securities class actions tied solely to #MeToo-related allegations.
By litigating this case through to its highly successful resolution, Murielle and her team paved the way for addressing #MeToo allegations via securities litigation and demonstrated that corporate accountability in this area is indeed important to investors.
Murielle led the litigation of In re Livent Noteholders’ Securities Litigation, a securities class action arising from the company’s years-long accounting fraud of “cooking the books.” After securing substantial settlements from the company’s auditing firm, outside directors, and underwriter, Murielle continued to litigate the action against the two top executives, the former Broadway producers Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb (whose hits included “Ragtime” and “Fosse”), winning a $36 million judgment against them at the summary judgment stage. This decision is a rare example of plaintiffs winning on all elements, including damages, at summary judgment. The ruling was upheld by the Second Circuit on appeal. Extraordinarily, this judgment represented 100% of claimed class damages.
Murielle also led the Firm’s litigation arising from the popular Pokémon GO game, in which Pomerantz was Lead Counsel. Pokémon GO is an “augmented reality” game in which players use their smartphones to “catch” Pokémon in real-world surroundings. GPS coordinates provided by defendants to gamers included directing the public to private property without the owners’ permission, amounting to an alleged mass nuisance. In this litigation, Murielle and her team made headway in the new legal area of regulating digital space. She negotiated a settlement with defendants by which they agreed to be more responsive in fielding nuisance complaints from private property owners and to remove gyms and PokéStops that appear near residential areas. Also, defendants agreed to pay for an independent audit to make sure it complied with all requirements.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Murielle and Jeremy A. Lieberman, the Firm’s Managing Partner, formulated a strategy for ensuring the safety of Pomerantz’s employees while maintaining the Firm’s reputation as a legal powerhouse. Throughout the pandemic, Pomerantz retained its entire staff, losing no employees to layoffs. In fact, the Firm not only weathered the storm but emerged stronger. In a moment of global crisis, Murielle’s aptitude for adaptability and thought leadership played a role in helping the Firm to exceed its goals.
Murielle’s tenacity and decisive leadership skills made her a force to be reckoned with—whether she was fighting for justice, forging new ground in securities law, or steering the Firm during turbulent times. She received many well-deserved awards over the years. Most recently, she was named, for the second time, an Elite Woman of the Plaintiffs’ Bar by the National Law Journal. When Law360 crowned her a 2024 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar, it published an article that is worth the read both for Murielle’s description of her path to the law and a description of her by an admiring colleague outside of Pomerantz.
When asked, for purposes of an awards submission, what had been the most significant challenge in her career, Murielle said:
“There were many challenges that I had not anticipated when I started out, which is just as well – they might have deterred me from embarking on a rewarding career. I did not know how hard it would be to put myself through law school. I did not know how competitive and challenging my studies would be. I did not know to what extent women in the law were – and sometimes still are – assumed to be less bright or fierce than their male counterparts. I did not know yet how to tread the fine line in court between being seen, as a woman, as either too soft or too aggressive. But I have since learned, thanks to grit, perseverance, generous mentorship, and years of experience.”
Murielle’s sunny, glass-half-full spirit lifted those around her. According to Jeremy A. Lieberman, Murielle “played an instrumental role in the Firm’s success over the past three decades. Beyond her undisputed legal acumen, she was a wonderful friend to so many of us, whose good nature, cheerfulness and common sense formed an integral part of the Firm’s culture.”
A highly accomplished attorney, loving wife to Sean and devoted mother to Peyton, Murielle was a role model for other working women. Passionately supportive of her family and friends, she also found time to give to others. She served on the Board of Trustees of the non-profit organization Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (“CASA”) of Monmouth County, New Jersey, which trains volunteers to watch over and advocate for children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, and helps them find suitable long-term care. CASA volunteers ensure that these children don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes.
Murielle is survived by her husband Sean, daughter Peyton Grace Walsh, father Alain Steven (Salima) and their children Léa Rose and Yann-Elyes, brother Didier (Lauren), nephews Jackson and Clay Steven, niece Frankie Steven, and brother-in-law Brian Walsh (James). She was predeceased by her mother Ghislaine Steven. Donations in Murielle’s honor may be made to CASA for Children of Monmouth County or the charity of your choice.
