Mark Thompson is a senior vice president of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin and serves on the firm's board of directors and associate compensation committee. He is also the regional managing attorney of the four Florida offices with responsibility for all practice groups, more than 40 attorneys, and over 50 managers, paralegals and support staff throughout the state.
Mark's legal practice is focused in the areas of corporate, premises and products liability defense with particular emphasis in the theme park and brewing industries. During his career, Mark has defended a variety of clients in high profile and complex cases. For almost 20 years, throughout Florida and other jurisdictions, he has had the privilege of representing the former Anheuser-Busch Companies, now operating independently as Anheuser-Busch InBev and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.
Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell and recognized in 2006 and again in 2007 as a Florida Super Lawyer, Mark is admitted to practice before the Florida Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He has tried cases in county, circuit and federal courts and argued before the District Courts of Appeal. In 2010, he represented a client testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
A graduate of the University of Florida, Mark worked as an insurance adjuster for 2 years before starting law school. As a law student, he made the Dean's List and was elected to membership of The American Journal of Trial Advocacy where he authored "Protective Orders: Sword and Shield in the War of Discovery" 12:3 The American Journal of Trial Advocacy (Summer 1989). Mark was also active in moot court and mock trial competitions before graduating from the Cumberland School of Law in 1989.
After graduation, Mark joined the defense litigation firm of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell where he was a partner and practiced for 12 years. In 2001, Mark joined Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin assuming management of the firm's Orlando office. His responsibilities were increased in 2004 when he was appointed head of the state's casualty practice group and again in 2006 when he was appointed regional managing attorney for the four Florida offices. In 2008, Mark was elected by his fellow shareholders to serve on the firm's nine-member board of directors.
Significant Representative Matters
· Defended corporation and obtained summary judgments in multiple federal lawsuits alleging sponsorship, production, distribution and sale of videos depicting plaintiffs' underage participation in various spring break contests.
· Defended manufacturer and obtained satisfactory confidential resolution of claims brought by 51 factory employees alleging toxic exposure.
· Defended state agency and obtained defense verdict in wrongful death trial alleging inadequate traffic control.
· Defended major insurer and obtained defense verdict in trial brought by owner of an oddities museum whose collection and building was completely destroyed by fire.
· Defended tourist destination and obtained summary judgment in a negligence action brought by a contracted performer rendered quadriplegic as a result of an accident during a gymnastic slam dunk exhibition.
· Defended company and obtained defense verdict on appeal in lawsuit alleging bottle "exploded" while being handled by plaintiff.
· Defended tourist destination and obtained defense verdict in trial alleging inadequate slip resistance of drainage grates.
· Defended and settled numerous lawsuits involving tractor trailer rollovers allegedly caused by improper loading of cargo.
· For nearly 20 years, defended theme parks and tourist destinations throughout Florida in hundreds of cases involving amusement rides, wild animals, negligent security, E-coli outbreaks, slip and falls, defamation, food poisoning, false imprisonment, and matters of intellectual property.
Published Works
· "Protective Orders: Sword and Shield in the War of Discovery," 12:3 The American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Summer, 1989
Representative Cases
· Anheuser-Busch, Inc. v. Lenz, 669 So. 2d 271 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996)
· Becton v. Metal Container Corp., 856 So.2d 982 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
· Jordan v. Sea World of Florida, Inc., 938 So.2d 991 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006)
· Badillo v. Anheuser-Busch, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 641 (M.D. Fla. 2006)
Classes/Seminars Taught
· Florida Premises Liability - Investigation and Defense
· Florida Liquor Liability
· Spoliation of Evidence
· The seminars mentioned above have been presented on multiple occasions to a variety of clients.
· In addition, for the past 4 years, Mark has moderated the Florida Associate's Conference in Orlando, Florida for attorneys in the firm.
Past Employment Positions
· Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, Partner
Associations & Memberships
· Defense Research Institute
· International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)
· Orange County Bar Association
· International Amusement & Leisure Defense Association
Honors & Awards
· AV® Preeminent™ by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell
· Florida Super Lawyer, 2006-2007
Year Joined Organization: 2001