W. Mark Lanier
Encyclopedia
William Mark Lanier is an American
trial lawyer. He lives in Houston, Texas
, and maintains offices in New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. Mark Lanier also writes about the Bible and teaches Biblical classes in person at Champion Forest Baptist Church
, via the internet and through print.
, Lanier attended Texas Tech University
for two years. Lanier finished his undergraduate degree at David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
. He received a B.A.
in Biblical Languages with a minor in Economics in 1981. His awards included the Granny White Bible Award for the highest G.P.A. among those planning to preach.
From Lipscomb, Lanier then attended the Texas Tech University School of Law
, completing his J.D. in 1984. Lanier was selected as the Texas Tech University School of Law
Distinguished Alumnus for 2005. Lanier also serves on the law school's Foundation Board.
Recently Lanier and his wife have finished construction of the Lanier Theological Library, an Oxford inspired library in Houston dedicated to areas of theology, Biblical studies, Semitic languages, Judaic Studies, Classics, Philosophy, and Ancient Near Eastern studies. The library also has a speakers series.
for Fulbright & Jaworski
on June 1, 1984. Lanier worked in the appellate and trial
divisions through August 1989. On September 1, 1989, Lanier began working for Ernest Cannon and Associates, a small plaintiffs trial practice firm in Houston, Texas. Lanier stayed there until launching his own firm with Bill Vernon on June 1, 1990.
Lanier's own firm went through several iterations before taking the name "Lanier Law Firm." It expanded from a small two-person firm into one with 65 lawyers in four cities, New York, Houston, Palo Alto and Los Angeles.
Lanier's practice centers in trial work with a cases ranging from personal injuries to corporate disputes and asset recovery. Lanier's noteworthy verdicts have included 480 million dollars in a business fraud case (Rubicon v. Amoco), 118 million in an asbestos
case (Aaron v. Carborundum) and 253 million in the first Vioxx verdict in America (Ernst v. Merck). Among his most recent verdicts is a 56.2 million dollar verdict against Caterpillar, Inc. on behalf of a crippled driver of a Caterpillar Tractor Scraper.
In 1998 and 2006, The National Law Journal
recognized Mr. Lanier as one of nation's top trial attorneys, and in 2006, The National Law Journal designated him as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America. The journal also named him among the country's 40 top attorneys under the age of 40.
He was named by The American Lawyer
magazine as one of the top 45 attorneys in the nation under the age of 45. In a Texas survey of legal peers published by Texas Monthly magazine, Mr. Lanier was selected a "Texas Super Lawyer" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (in 2007-2009 he was one of the top vote getters in the state). For many years, Texas Lawyer newspaper named Mr. Lanier as one of the top 5 "Go To" personal injury plaintiff attorneys in Texas. In 2007, it selected Lanier as the "Go To" lawyer in Texas in the area of personal injury work. In addition, Texas Lawyer named him its 2005 "Impact Player of the Year."
In 2010, the The National Law Journal
selected Lanier as one of Decade's Most Influential Lawyers (2000–2010). The list included only 40 lawyers out of the 1.1 million in America. Lanier was the only plaintiff's attorney selected. The Texas Lawyer honored Lanier as one of the twenty-five greatest attorneys of the past twenty-five years.
Lanier's experience in the courtroom has resulted in feature articles in The Wall Street Journal
, The American Lawyer
, Texas Lawyer, The New York Times
, New York Lawyer, The National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times
, The Boston Globe
, Houston Chronicle
, and Bloomberg L.P.
, among others. He is also a frequent guest on news shows on CNBC, Fox Business News, ABC, and others.
Some of Lanier's trials have been carried on the Court TV
website and have been the subject of articles and books emphasizing his communication techniques and legal accomplishments. Cliff Atkinson's book, Beyond Bullet Points describes in Chapter 1 the approach used by Lanier in the Ernst trial, which Fortune magazine described as "frighteningly powerful". Legal write-ups frequently reference Lanier's usage of multi-media in his presentations.
Lanier is also featured in the book Texas Justice: The Legacy of Historical Courthouses for his accomplishments in the Rubicon trial.
In 2011, Lanier was the principle subject of the book, All The Justice Money Can Buy, by ex-NPR reporter Snigdha Prakash. Prakash was embedded in the Lanier trial team for the high profile Vioxx trial of Lanier in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Lanier is the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a network of principled attorneys to minister to others through civic-minded endeavors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
trial lawyer. He lives in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and maintains offices in New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. Mark Lanier also writes about the Bible and teaches Biblical classes in person at Champion Forest Baptist Church
Champion Forest Baptist Church
Champion Forest Baptist Church, is a megachurch in Northwest Houston, Texas. It is an evangelical, Christian church, and is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention.-History:...
, via the internet and through print.
Education
After graduating from Coronado High School in Lubbock, TexasLubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, Lanier attended Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
for two years. Lanier finished his undergraduate degree at David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Biblical Languages with a minor in Economics in 1981. His awards included the Granny White Bible Award for the highest G.P.A. among those planning to preach.
From Lipscomb, Lanier then attended the Texas Tech University School of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
The Texas Tech University School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Known nationally for their continual success in trial advocacy competitions, the school focuses on forming practical lawyers who are ready to practice law upon...
, completing his J.D. in 1984. Lanier was selected as the Texas Tech University School of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
The Texas Tech University School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Known nationally for their continual success in trial advocacy competitions, the school focuses on forming practical lawyers who are ready to practice law upon...
Distinguished Alumnus for 2005. Lanier also serves on the law school's Foundation Board.
Personal
Lanier is married to Becky (Smith) and has five children. Together, Lanier and his wife have contributed to building the Mark and Becky Lanier Professional Development Center at the Texas Tech University School of Law.Recently Lanier and his wife have finished construction of the Lanier Theological Library, an Oxford inspired library in Houston dedicated to areas of theology, Biblical studies, Semitic languages, Judaic Studies, Classics, Philosophy, and Ancient Near Eastern studies. The library also has a speakers series.
Legal career
Lanier began his legal career working in HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
for Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
on June 1, 1984. Lanier worked in the appellate and trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
divisions through August 1989. On September 1, 1989, Lanier began working for Ernest Cannon and Associates, a small plaintiffs trial practice firm in Houston, Texas. Lanier stayed there until launching his own firm with Bill Vernon on June 1, 1990.
Lanier's own firm went through several iterations before taking the name "Lanier Law Firm." It expanded from a small two-person firm into one with 65 lawyers in four cities, New York, Houston, Palo Alto and Los Angeles.
Lanier's practice centers in trial work with a cases ranging from personal injuries to corporate disputes and asset recovery. Lanier's noteworthy verdicts have included 480 million dollars in a business fraud case (Rubicon v. Amoco), 118 million in an asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
case (Aaron v. Carborundum) and 253 million in the first Vioxx verdict in America (Ernst v. Merck). Among his most recent verdicts is a 56.2 million dollar verdict against Caterpillar, Inc. on behalf of a crippled driver of a Caterpillar Tractor Scraper.
In 1998 and 2006, The National Law Journal
The National Law Journal
The National Law Journal, a U.S. periodical founded in 1978, reports legal information of national importance to attorneys, including federal circuit court decisions, verdicts, practitioners' columns, coverage of legislative issues and legal news for the business and private sectors.The...
recognized Mr. Lanier as one of nation's top trial attorneys, and in 2006, The National Law Journal designated him as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America. The journal also named him among the country's 40 top attorneys under the age of 40.
He was named by The American Lawyer
The American Lawyer
The American Lawyer is a monthly law magazine published by ALM. It was founded in 1979 by Steven Brill. Features include the annual AmLaw 100 Survey and AmLaw 200 Survey , "The View From the Top", their annual poll of law firm chairpersons, and their "Corporate Scorecard"...
magazine as one of the top 45 attorneys in the nation under the age of 45. In a Texas survey of legal peers published by Texas Monthly magazine, Mr. Lanier was selected a "Texas Super Lawyer" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (in 2007-2009 he was one of the top vote getters in the state). For many years, Texas Lawyer newspaper named Mr. Lanier as one of the top 5 "Go To" personal injury plaintiff attorneys in Texas. In 2007, it selected Lanier as the "Go To" lawyer in Texas in the area of personal injury work. In addition, Texas Lawyer named him its 2005 "Impact Player of the Year."
In 2010, the The National Law Journal
The National Law Journal
The National Law Journal, a U.S. periodical founded in 1978, reports legal information of national importance to attorneys, including federal circuit court decisions, verdicts, practitioners' columns, coverage of legislative issues and legal news for the business and private sectors.The...
selected Lanier as one of Decade's Most Influential Lawyers (2000–2010). The list included only 40 lawyers out of the 1.1 million in America. Lanier was the only plaintiff's attorney selected. The Texas Lawyer honored Lanier as one of the twenty-five greatest attorneys of the past twenty-five years.
Lanier's experience in the courtroom has resulted in feature articles in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, The American Lawyer
The American Lawyer
The American Lawyer is a monthly law magazine published by ALM. It was founded in 1979 by Steven Brill. Features include the annual AmLaw 100 Survey and AmLaw 200 Survey , "The View From the Top", their annual poll of law firm chairpersons, and their "Corporate Scorecard"...
, Texas Lawyer, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, New York Lawyer, The National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, and Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
, among others. He is also a frequent guest on news shows on CNBC, Fox Business News, ABC, and others.
Some of Lanier's trials have been carried on the Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
website and have been the subject of articles and books emphasizing his communication techniques and legal accomplishments. Cliff Atkinson's book, Beyond Bullet Points describes in Chapter 1 the approach used by Lanier in the Ernst trial, which Fortune magazine described as "frighteningly powerful". Legal write-ups frequently reference Lanier's usage of multi-media in his presentations.
Lanier is also featured in the book Texas Justice: The Legacy of Historical Courthouses for his accomplishments in the Rubicon trial.
In 2011, Lanier was the principle subject of the book, All The Justice Money Can Buy, by ex-NPR reporter Snigdha Prakash. Prakash was embedded in the Lanier trial team for the high profile Vioxx trial of Lanier in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Lanier is the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a network of principled attorneys to minister to others through civic-minded endeavors.