W. Mark Lanier

Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation.

During the past 30 years, Mark has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the legal field. In doing so, he has achieved some of the largest verdicts in history, accomplishments that have changed business practices to protect the public and have gained justice for the victims of asbestos exposure, dangerous drugs, medical devices, and other consumer products. In addition, he has successfully represented a select number of clients in claims involving fraud, breach of contract, and other forms of business litigation.

These results cumulatively put Mark close to $20 billion in verdicts during his highly acclaimed career.

Mark’s success in the courtroom and perspectives on litigation have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Bloomberg News and the Houston Chronicle, among many other publications. He is also a frequent guest on news and business programs for a wide range of broadcast and cable networks.

In addition to those he represents, Mark has committed himself to helping others in the law profession. He regularly appears at seminars and legal education events and serves as a featured lecturer at many of the nation’s top law schools, including Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, Pepperdine University School of Law, University of Chicago Law School and Texas Tech University School of Law.

Executives and administrators from major American corporations and institutions often call on Mark for his respected views on national and international issues. In 2011, Mark received the distinguished Ambassador of Peace Award from the Guatemalan government for his work with Guatemala SANA, a nonprofit organization that Mark founded in 2009 to help bring health care, education and infrastructure development to rural areas of Guatemala. Mark also serves on the boards of the American Schools of Oriental Research and The Albright Institute, as well as on the Lipscomb University Board of Trustees.

A devout Christian, Mark is also the founder of the Lanier Theological Library, one of the nation’s largest private theological collections. He teaches a weekly, 700-plus-member Sunday school class focusing on Biblical literacy at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston. Mark is also the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association, a nonprofit organization working to create a network of principled attorneys to minister to others through civic-minded endeavors. Mark has also published several books on faith. These include Christianity on Trial (IVP, 2014) and a daily devotional book titled Psalms for Living: Daily Prayers, Wisdom, and Guidance (Baylor University Press, 2016), the latter of which was awarded the 2018 Illumination Book Award in the Devotional category. He followed this up with Torah for Living (Baylor University Press, 2018).

Mark considers his greatest achievement to be his family. He is the father of five wonderful children and lives in Houston with his wife, Becky.