Overview

Mark Palin is an elite trial lawyer and an accomplished commercial litigator. He has more than 30 years of experience in business-related litigation, including arbitrations, mediations, class actions, and bench and jury trials. He has litigated numerous commercial and employment cases in the areas of directors and officers liability, business judgment rule, business fraud, wage and hour, wrongful termination, real estate, vendor disputes, product liability, defamation, antitrust, unfair business practices, false advertising, and a variety of other business disputes. Mr. Palin has litigated class action cases on behalf of national retailers and other major corporations. He has also tried cases involving trade secrets, UCC, trademarks, franchises, credit reporting, personal injury, toxic tort, and corporate and partnership disputes.

Mr. Palin joined AALRR from a national firm with offices throughout the United States, where he served as Managing Partner of the Irvine, San Diego, and San Francisco offices and was a recipient of that firm’s prestigious “Partner of the Year” award.  He currently serves as AALRR’s co-general counsel and previously served as the firm’s managing partner.

Honors & Recognitions

Mr. Palin has received an AV® Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, recognition by Best Lawyers in America,  and named a “Super Lawyer” each year for over a decade.  Mr. Palin was also previously elected President of the Orange County Federal Bar Association.

Representative Matters

Mr. Palin’s accomplishments include the following:

  • Represented a national sports trading card and collectibles company and obtained a defense verdict after a three-week jury trial in a wrongful termination case.
  • Represented the largest framing company in the State of California and obtained a favorable verdict after an eight-week jury trial.
  • Represented sellers of a multi-million-dollar Texas-based real estate company and won a judgment for $30 million and rescission of the sale of the business.
  • Represented a communications company in a breach of contract case brought by a supplier.Obtained a defense verdict after a full trial on the merits.
  • Represented the largest commercial landscaper in Southern California in a four-month bench trial in federal court and obtained a favorable judgment.
  • Represented a billion-dollar publicly-traded medical device company and obtained summary judgment in a False Claims Act case.
  • Represented an international electronics company and its U.S. subsidiary and successfully resolved claims for misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty arising out of the manufacture of flat panel displays. The settlement was paid entirely by the insurance company.
  • Represented the seller of a nationwide chain of automobile servicing and oil change stores for alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10(b)5, and claims of fraud and negligent misrepresentation. Obtained a favorable settlement for a fraction of the amount demanded.
  • Represented an Indonesia pulp and paper company against quality control and timeliness claims. Obtained a dismissal of the action.
  • Represented a public entity and successfully prosecuted insurance consultants for concealing commissions arranged without their clients’ knowledge.Assisted in obtaining a $3.7 million judgment after a four-week jury trial.
  • Represented the largest Chinese language newspaper in the United States and prosecuted Unfair Business Practices and False Advertising claim against its chief competitor.  Obtained a substantial settlement and a formal written apology from the competitor.
  • Represented a publicly traded social media company from claims alleging misrepresentation and breach of contract. Settlement was reached and paid by insurance; nothing was paid by the corporate or individual defendants.
  • Represented a District Attorney’s office in several wrongful termination actions and achieved favorable results paid entirely by the insurance company.
  • Represented a national paint distribution company and obtained summary judgment on an indemnity cross-complaint against the manufacturer.
  • Represented a multi-million-dollar communications company and successfully prosecuted a case for various business torts against individual officers and directors. Obtained a multi-million-dollar settlement in stock and cash on behalf of the selling corporation.
  • Represented a global network provider of YouTube content in a trade secrets dispute with the company’s former employees.
  • Represented a federal government agency and conducted in-house training under Director and Officer liability and the Business Judgment Rule.
  • Represented a high-end national retailer and obtained dismissal of claims related to its business practices with respect to gift cards.
  • Engaged by a federal government agency to investigate culpability by the officers and directors of a failed bank.
  • Represented a billion-dollar publicly traded medical device company and obtained a successful result on a whistleblower claim.
  • Represented an international investment fund that was the target of a court-appointed receiver in an alleged international Ponzi scheme.

Practice Areas

News & Publications

Firm News

Community Involvement

Community & Professional

  • Orange County Federal Bar Association, Past President/Current Member
  • Orange County Bar Association, Served on the Board of Directors/Current Member
  • Ninth Circuit, Served as an FBA delegate

Education

J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law
B.A., California State University, Fullerton

Admissions

  • 1985, Arizona
    1988, California
    U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
    U.S. District Courts, Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
    U.S. Supreme Court
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