The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

14. Mark Lanier — Achieving Billion-Dollar Verdicts

Jun 30, 2020

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"The punitive damages are like a volume control on a stereo. The higher you dial it, the louder it will be." - Mark Lanier

Why exactly does sharp storytelling make the most dangerous adversary in trial?
How does it feel to win a $4.69 billion dollar verdict?
What does it really mean to 'know thyself' inside and outside the courtroom?
How did Mark Lanier end up playing himself in a feature film alongside Chris Evans?

How Mark Lanier Achieved Over $20 Billion Dollars In Verdicts

Often, successful lawyers will have a single career-defining case, but Mark Lanier has a legacy of landmark cases and 8-, 9- and even 10-figure verdicts. So what sets apart this trial law titan? One of the answers can be found in his storytelling prowess.

From his childhood spent all over the US, to the daily cliffhangers he told his children on the way to school, to the way the scenes he sets for jurors — Mark sees life in terms of parables, and he shares his masterful vision with us.

How To Be A Chameleon In the Courtroom While Staying Authentic

Mark says jurors seek authenticity, and they can smell a fake attorney a mile away. He honed his skills watching other attorneys and became a shape-shifter in the courtroom — but something didn't ring true. Mark explains how the journey to 'knowing thyself' can transform your practice and trial results, and he shares how he self-educated, integrated, and actuated his ambitions.

Sizing Up The Competition: Why Everyone Wants To Take Down The King

When you're on top, along with great success comes a giant target on your back — everybody wants to take down the king. Many attorneys see winning in court against the great Mark Lanier as the pinnacle of achievement.

Mark explains why when it comes to facing the opposition, he doesn't get nervous — he gets excited. Plus, he tells us just what he thinks about those lawyers who view him as the ultimate threat.

Key takeaways:

Want to pick and choose your cases? Do the work. Mark's an advocate for practice makes perfect — so much so that he wants the young attorneys under his wing to get as much court time as possible. Mark shares his winning formula that pairs talent, hard work, and a drive for justice with his innovative strategy for pre-trial discovery and depositions.
Watch, learn, emulate, integrate. Mark says that he's honed his courtroom prowess by watching and learning from the best, and he doesn't just mean lawyers. Whether it's a storyline on a TV show or a documentary timeline, to be a contender you need to channel inspiration from even the unlikeliest of places.

Set your ethical compass.

Mark believes that lawyers have a wealth of opportunity to fight for good, just, causes. He shares how treating others with love and compassion translates in the courtroom environment — and the satisfaction and success that comes with doing right by clients.

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