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Meet The Team Supporting Your Growth 

Trellis Legal specializes in approachable legal services and empowering its clients. We prioritize local entrepreneurs and businesses, non-profits, and communities in Pennsylvania, and help them navigate legal issues such as entity formation, entity restructuring, business purchases and sales, contract drafting, trademarks and copyright registrations and IP issues, contract review and negotiation, lease agreements, terms of use, agritourism liability, farm structuring, wills and estates, real estate transactions, and more.

 

Our experience working with our clients and in the community has fostered the understanding that business transactions involve, and must support, invaluable relationships. We're here to support you and be your partner.  Learn more about our team below!

Trellis is a business member of Lawrenceville Corporation, the Chatham Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA). 

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Founder/Principal Attorney

Marlene van Nelson (she/her)

Marlene focuses her practice in business transactional law and food and agricultural legal needs. 

 

Marlene graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and holds a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources from Cornell University. She has experience working on farms, in policy consulting, and is passionate about innovating in the legal space. She has helped hundreds of businesses, farmers, and non-profits across Pennsylvania navigate setting up their business entity, getting the contracts they need, and accounting for unique issues that affect their industry such as permitting, zoning, and liability considerations. She loves seeing her clients succeed. 

 

Marlene also enjoys hiking, cooking, bbqing, volleyball, and spending time with her wonderful husband and son. She is the Board Secretary for Grow Pittsburgh. Marlene also received the 2025 Pitt Law Young Alumni Award and been named one of Pittsburgh Magazine's 40 under 40. Marlene is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

A blonde woman, Erin Holliday, sitting at her desk smiling

Attorney & Deputy Operations Manager

Erin McCarthy Holliday (she/her)

Erin focuses her practice in business transactional law.

 

Erin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and holds a B.S. in Journalism from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Prior to law school, Erin worked as a journalist and advertising copywriter. In law school, she served as the Editor in Chief of the Pittsburgh Journal of Technology Law & Policy and the Chief of Staff of the award-wining legal news publication JURIST. Erin was a David and Carl Janavitz Fellow in First Amendment Law, focusing her research around media law in digital spaces. Before Trellis, Erin worked in class action litigation focused on false advertising, product labeling, and consumer rights. 

Erin runs a real estate and management business with her husband, has a new baby to obsess over (along with the rest of the Trellis team), teaches fitness classes, runs for her local club, volunteers with the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Western Pennsylvania, and works the polls in every local election. Erin is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and admitted to the Western District of PA.

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Attorney

Savannah Merceus (she/her)

Savannah focuses her practice on trademark and copyright transactions.

Savannah graduated from the Drexel University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Business and Management from Berklee College of Music where she also studied voice. Before law school, Savannah worked in music rights management, which led to her career in intellectual property law. Her practice focuses on trademark and copyright prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement matters as well as internet and domain name issues. Savannah takes pride in providing accessible intellectual property counseling and ensuring that clients can make informed decisions about their intellectual property goals. She has experience helping clients of all types including artists, nonprofit organizations, emerging startups, regional businesses, and multinational corporations. Before Trellis, Savannah began her legal career at AmLaw 100 law firms where she practiced trademark law.
 

Outside of the office, Savannah enjoys live music, a good workout class, traveling, and spending quality time with her loved ones. She is a proud New Jersey native and Philadelphia adoptee. Savannah is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Associate Attorney

Hanna Murrer (she/her)

Hanna graduated from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University and holds a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State University and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from Point Park University. Hanna is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Before pursuing a legal career, Hanna worked in environmental science and conservation-focused roles that strengthened her passion for advocacy, problem-solving, and community engagement. During law school, she had the opportunity to intern for several large, small, and nonprofit law firms. She also served as a law clerk for the Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Passionate about helping others navigate both everyday and complex legal challenges, Hanna values building strong relationships with clients and working collaboratively to find thoughtful, effective solutions. In her free time, Hanna enjoys running, beekeeping, photography, and spending time with her husband and two children.​​​​​​​​

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Legal Administrator/Office Manager

Courtney Holliday (she/her)

Courtney is the go-to person for all things administrative, office management, marketing, and more! She supports the attorneys with scheduling, communications, filing, invoicing, and all things marketing-including being our social media wunderkind!

 

Courtney graduated from Point Park Conservatory with a B.A. in Acting. Outside of the office Courtney runs QFL Media working with small businesses and creatives on their social media platforms to expand their reach and help them shine. She spends her free time reading, singing at the top of her lungs, and eating at every restaurant in town. Also fun fact - she and Erin just happen to have the same last name but aren't related!

 

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Of Counsel

Anna Butson (she/her)

Anna focuses her practice on wills, estates, and trusts.

 

Anna graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn State University with B.A.s in Public Relations and History and a minor in Spanish. She then went on to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Anna has had the opportunity to practice in a variety of areas of the law, including workers’ compensation, social security disability, personal injury, real estate, family, business formation and advising, and estate planning. Anna now primarily focuses on trusts and estates, and business formation and advising, and loves helping people by providing solid planning for a secure future.

 

Outside of the office, Anna also works with her husband’s financial advising business and is Secretary of her neighborhood Civic Association.  She is a wife, a mom of identical twin girls, a dog mom to Bella and Murph, and a proud Penn Stater (#WeAre). Anna also enjoys traveling, time spent outdoors, anything active, gardening, baking, and DIY projects. Anna is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.​​

More Importantly, Here's

What Our Clients Say:

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Kate Romane

Chef & Owner, Black Radish Kitchen

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Marlene and her team at Trellis Legal have been an enormous help for the Black Radish Kitchen over the past few years - including helping us with contracts, handbooks & employee guidelines, and lease agreements. During the very challenging time of COVID-19, we looked to Trellis as a leader for helping us and many people in our community to find small business resources and stay connected to what assistance is available. Trellis is kind, forward thinking, approachable, and willing to put in the time to find you the answers. I could not be more of a fan girl. 

Sandra Villarroel

Sandrachile Photography

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I deeply appreciate the people who hire me, and treating them with honesty is my biggest priority. I use my contract to ensure the couples that I care so much about can feel confident that I am not trying to trick them or take advantage of them. Trellis Legal are the only lawyers who get me, they understand me when I say that it is not about money, it is not about me, it is about caring for one another, and Trellis understands that.

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©2026 Trellis Legal, LLC. DISCLAIMER: The content of this website is intended to convey general information about Trellis Legal, LLC. Content on this website should not be relied upon as legal advice. The content is also not intended to create an attorney-client relationship or constitute an offer of services. Emails sent to any member of Trellis through this website will not create an attorney-client relationship and will not be considered confidential. All uses of this site except for personal purposes are prohibited.

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