W. MARK LANIER

Founder

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.

Notable Mentions

“One of the top civil trial lawyers in America.”

– The New York Times

“Jurors often vote for who they like. It’s why so many corporations hate to step in a courtroom and it’s why Lanier is turning so many heads.”

– The American Lawyer

“He (Mark Lanier) has established himself as one of the best trial lawyers in the nation.”

– Texas Lawyer

Notable Verdicts

$ 9 Billion

Verdict against Takeda & Eli Lilly for cancer risk for diabetes drug Actos

$ 4.85 Billion

National Vioxx Settlement with Merck & Co.

$ 4.69 Billion

Verdict in First Trial Linking Baby Powder, Asbestos and Ovarian Cancer

BenchMARKS series

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Our Locations

Houston Office

10940 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N
Suite 100
Houston, TX 77064

(713) 659-5200

New York Office

535 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10022
(212) 421-2800

Los Angeles Office

2829 Townsgate Rd.
Suite 100
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(310) 277-5100

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.

Mark Lanier in the Media

Personal Background

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.

Education

B.A. – David Lipscomb University, 1981
J.D. – Texas Tech University School of Law, 1984

Mark has been awarded honorary doctor degrees from St. Johns University, Pepperdine University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Community and Professional Activities

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.

Books

Representative Cases

In July 2018, Mark and his trial team secured a record-setting $4.69 billion verdict for 22 women and their families who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused the women’s ovarian cancer.

In November 2017, Mark helped secure a $247 million verdict against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., a subsidiary of health-care giant Johnson & Johnson, over Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants. The verdict was won on behalf of six New York residents who claimed they were injured by the faulty medical devices.
Mark secured two verdicts in March 2016 and December 2016, both against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson. The March 2016 verdict was recognized by the National Law Journal as the Outstanding Medical Device Award for 2016 and as one of the Top 50 Verdicts of the Year. In the December 2016 verdict,
Mark secured two verdicts in March 2016 and December 2016, both against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson. The March 2016 verdict was recognized by the National Law Journal as the Outstanding Medical Device Award for 2016 and as one of the Top 50 Verdicts of the Year. In the December 2016 verdict,
Mark secured a verdict exceeding $9 billion against Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Eli Lilly & Co. over the diabetes drug Actos.
In 1993, Mark won a then-record $483 million verdict for a small oil company in a business-fraud case against one of the nation’s largest oil providers.
Mark won a $258 million verdict in the nation’s first trial over the painkiller Vioxx, Ernst v. Merck, setting the tone for similar cases across the country. This verdict was followed by an additional two wins over the same drug, totaling more than $50 million.
Mark obtained a precedent-setting settlement for a national sugar association trade group and several of the largest U.S. sugar manufacturers regarding a false-promotion lawsuit against one of the world’s leading distributors of artificial sweeteners.
Mark was responsible for reaching a sizeable settlement for syringe manufacturer Retractable Technologies in an antitrust case against Becton Dickinson & Company, which served as the basis for the movie Puncture, starring Chris Evans.
Mark’s $118 million verdict on behalf of 21 asbestos victims is considered one of the largest asbestos liability awards in U.S. history.
Mark secured a settlement for 130 Ingersoll Rand employees in a lawsuit over unpaid bonuses related to the sale of an Ingersoll Rand subsidiary.
Mark won the largest verdict in Texas in 2016, according to VerdictSearch and Texas Lawyer, as well as the third largest verdict with $1 billion and $502 million respectively.

2024 – $8 million verdict from a jury that unanimously determined that exposure to asbestos from the BNSF Railyard was a contributing factor in the deaths of our clients who tragically succumbed to mesothelioma. This verdict represents the first successful community exposure case against BNSF Railway in relation to asbestos-related illnesses.
2021 – 2022 – Led the national trial team that secured a historic $650.6 million jury verdict against retail pharmacies operated by Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. The jury affirmed that the pharmacies had failed to follow guidelines that would have curtailed the staggering distribution of highly addictive opioid painkillers. This was followed by another historic $1.85 billion settlement reached, in Texas, with opioid manufacturers and distributors and was preceded by a $260 million settlement with opioid distributors AmeriSource Bergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., McKesson Corp. and Teva on behalf of two other Ohio counties on similar claims.
2018 – A record setting $4.69 billion verdict on behalf of 22 women and their families who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer. This verdict was named National Law Journal’s Top Verdict of 2018. Johnson & Johnson took the verdict to the United States Supreme Court. On June 1st, 2021 the court rejected the J&J appeal in a brief written order, effectively ending the case and leaving in place a Missouri appeals-court ruling against the company.
2017 – $247 million verdict against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and health care giant Johnson & Johnson.
2016 – $528 million verdict against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and health care giant Johnson & Johnson, recognized by the National Law Journal as the Outstanding Medical Device Award for 2016, and as one of the Top 50 Verdicts of the Year.
2016 – $1.05 billion verdict against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and health care giant Johnson & Johnson, the fourth largest verdict in America in 2016.
2014 – $9 billion-dollar Actos verdict against Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Eli Lilly & Co.
2005 – $253 million in the first Vioxx® verdict in the U.S. (Ernst v. Merck).
2000 – Reversal of $1.6 billion judgment (Owens-Illinois v. T&N, Ltd. and Federal Mogul).
1998 – $118 million in an asbestos-related matter (Aaron v. Carborundum).
1993 – $417 million in a business fraud case against Amoco (Rubicon v. Amoco).

Admissions and Certification

State Bar of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas – Bankruptcy
State Bar of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals – Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Federal Claims
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified in Complex Litigation by the National Board of Trial Advocates

Awards

Best Lawyers 2024 – Commercial Litigation
Best Lawyers 2024 – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers 2024 – Lawyer of The Year – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers 2024 – Lawyer of The Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers 2025 – Commercial Litigation
Best Lawyers 2025 – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers 2025 – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers 2025 – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Best Lawyers in America, BL Rankings, 2006-2022
Best Law Firms, Tier 1 Ranking – The Lanier Law Firm, U.S. News/Best Lawyers, 2013-2022
Houston Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers, 2020
Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2021
Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, 2017-2022
Most Impressive Plaintiff Verdict, Courtroom View Network, 2019
Top 10 Super Lawyers in Texas, Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson
Reuters, 2007, 2009-2010, 2012-2021
America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers USA, 2012-2021
Trial Lawyer of the Year, National Trial Lawyers, 2019
National Top Tier Ranking – Medical Device and Pharmaceutical
Litigation, The Legal 500 U.S. edition, 2016-2019
Leading Lawyers in Plaintiffs’ Dispute Resolution, The Legal 500 U.S. edition, 2018-2019
500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, 2007-2020
500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2020
Elite Trial Lawyers
National Law Journal, 2015-2019
Houston Lawyer of the Year, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers, 2018
Trial Lawyer of the Year, National Trial Lawyers Foundation, 2018
50 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S., National Trial Lawyers Foundation, 2018
Elite Trial Lawyer Top 50 Verdicts, National Law Journal, 2018
MVP in Product Liability Litigation, Law360, 2018
Trial Lawyer of the Year, Southern California Trial Lawyers, 2018
Houston Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers, 2017
Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, National Trial Lawyers, 2017
Distinguished Alumni Award, Lipscomb University, 2017
Compassionate Gladiator Award, Florida Justice Association, 2017
Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2013-2022
Trial Lawyer of the Year, National Trial Lawyers & The Trial Lawyer magazine, 2016-2017
Texas Tech University Distinguished Alumnus, 2016
Houston Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, Texas Lawyer, 2016
Houston Lawyer of the Year, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers, 2016
Largest Verdict in Texas, Verdict Search/Texas Lawyer, 2016
Elite Leading Lawyers, The Legal 500, 2016
Top 50 Verdicts of the Year, National Law Journal, 2016
Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyers Award, Texas Bar Foundation, 2015
Lifetime Achievement Award, American Association of Justice, 2015
Texas Litigation Firm of the Year: Mid-Size Firms, Texas Lawyer, 2015
Litigation Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2015
Litigation Department of the Year – The Lanier Law Firm, Texas Lawyer, 2015
Most Feared Plaintiffs Firms – The Lanier Law Firm, Law360, 2014
Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame, Texas Lawyer, 2014
Top Class Action Attorney in America, 2013
Houston Lawyer of the Year, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers, 2012
Top 50 Verdicts, Verdict Search/Texas Lawyer, 2012
Clarence Darrow Award, 2012
Ambassador of Peace, Guatemalan government, 2011
Top 5 “Go To” Personal Injury Plaintiff Attorneys, Texas Lawyer
Top “Go To” Personal Injury Plaintiff Attorneys, Texas Lawyer
Top 25 Attorneys of the Past Quarter Century, Texas Lawyer
Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, The Trial Lawyer magazine
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
Top 10 Trial Attorneys, National Law Journal
100 Most Influential Lawyers in America, National Law Journal
Plaintiff’s Hot List, National Law Journal
Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers
Top 10: Texas Super Lawyers
Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers