Biography
Mark Werbner is a seasoned trial lawyer called upon when issues are complex and the stakes are high. Considered by his peers, as published by Best Lawyers in America and BL Rankings, to be one of the nation’s most accomplished trial attorneys, Mark possesses a nearly unmatched track record of approximately 150 jury trials.
His experience spans more than 30 years and ranges from matters dealing with cutting-edge patent precedents to defending individuals and companies from government prosecution to fighting against international terrorism. Inside the courtroom, his accomplishments include numerous high-stakes cases, including some of the largest jury verdicts in the country, according to VerdictSearch, as well as many significant settlements made ahead of trial.
As he prepares for each case under the assumption that it will go to trial, those who have worked alongside him — and those who have faced him — will attest that his involvement can create tremendous settlement pressure for his clients’ opponents.
Mark is equally proficient in civil litigation, complex business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Representing both corporations and individuals, Mark serves as a trusted advisor and multidimensional strategist to analyze the legal situation at hand, as well as its longer-term effects on a client’s business, goals and other challenges the client faces.
In civil matters, Mark’s previous experience includes successfully defending a New York hedge fund in a substantial disparagement case, prosecuting a patent case, and litigating a broad range of business torts and alleged fraudulent actions. Mark has defended clients from charges of bank fraud, health care fraud, federal procurement fraud, tax evasion, environmental violations, ERISA pension embezzlement and murder.
Regardless of the where, what and how, Mark’s focus is always squarely on those he represents. As both a trial lawyer and counselor, he sees it as his job to listen, to learn and to do as much as he can to help them.
Representative Matters at Werbner Law and elsewhere
Mark’s courtroom accomplishments include some of the largest jury verdicts in the country, and his work has been widely recognized by both his colleagues and the press.
- Mark served as lead co-counsel for Terror Victims v. Arab Bank, a groundbreaking international terrorism lawsuit that took place in 2014 and was reported on by Fox News, Court TV, The Wall Street Journal, and other national and international media. Mark helped convince a New York federal jury to issue liability findings against Arab Bank, clearing the way for a financial damages trial. The verdict represented the first time in U.S. history that a foreign bank was found liable for materially supporting terrorism.
- In May 2015, Mark argued and won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a patent infringement case where the firm previously won a sizable judgment. The original jury verdict was recognized by VerdictSearch and Texas Lawyer as one of the top 10 verdicts statewide in 2011.
Practice Areas
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations
- Healthcare Fraud
- Securities & Financial Fraud
Education
- J.D. – Southern Methodist University School of Law, graduated cum laude, 1978
- B.A. – University of Texas, graduated with high honors, 1975
Admissions
- State Bar of Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
Honors & Awards
- Named to D Magazine’s Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2022 and 2023
- Named to D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007-2009, 2011-2020, 2023-2024
- Recognized by the Best Lawyers in America for Bet-the-Company Litigation, White Collar Criminal Defense, and Commercial Litigation, 2001-2024
- “Lawyer of the Year” for Bet-the-Company Litigation, Dallas/Fort Worth, The Best Lawyers in America, 2021
- Recognized among the Leaders in Their Field in Commercial Litigation, Chambers USA, 2013-2022
- Top 10 Super Lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2005, 2011, 2017-2020
- Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2021
- Top 100 Super Lawyers in Dallas/Fort Worth by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2018, 2021-2022
- Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, 2021 – 2023
- Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators, 2024
- Recognized as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” Benchmark Litigation, 2020
- “Lawyer of the Year” for Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Dallas/Fort Worth, The Best Lawyers in America, 2018
- Recognized as one of the nation’s Top Commercial Litigation Attorneys, Benchmark Litigation, 2018
- Trial Lawyer of the Year by Public Justice, 2016
- Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Dallas Bar Association, 2011
Speaking Engagements & Publications
- “Mark Werbner: Are Mock Trials Worth It?” DBA Trial Skills Section, June 2020
- Quoted in “High Wired: Mark Werbner’s Guide to the new SCOTUS TeleArguments,” The Texas Lawbook, May 2020
- “Tips From the Legal Legends,” DBA Bench Bar Conference, September 2019
- “Fighting Terror-Financing in the Courtroom,” Austin Litigation Update Institute, January 2018
- “Litle v. Arab Bank,” Waco and College Station ABOTA Judicial Dinner, November 2017
- “Winning the Hard Cases,” Dallas Bar Association, 2017
- “Trial Skills Bootcamp – Cross Examination,” Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, June 2015
