Mark D. Hess
Mark Hess focuses on the defense of insurers against extra-contractual claims, the defense of class actions, insurance defense and coverage litigation and professional malpractice defense. He also has significant experience in public law litigation matters, and maintains an extensive appellate practice.
Mr. Hess has substantial government experience. He served in 1987 - 1988 as a Law Clerk to Senior United States District Judge Robert E. Varner, Middle District of Alabama, and after a brief stint in private practice served on the legal staff of the Governor of Alabama from 1989 - 1992. During that period, he served the Governor as Assistant Legal Advisor, Deputy Legal Advisor, Legal Advisor/General Counsel and Interim Chief of Staff. In those roles, he specialized in education and education finance issues, voter registration and redistricting issues, and worked with a coalition of state attorneys general in defending state sovereign immunity claims in trials and appeals up through the United States Supreme Court. He currently serves as an Administrative Law Judge/Fair Hearing Officer for the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency.
Mr. Hess is an active lecturer on civil litigation matters, including fraud and bad faith defense, discovery and evidentiary and procedural issues. He serves on the Amicus Curiae Brief Committee of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, and is also active in civic affairs. Mr. Hess was recognized for appellate law in the Birmingham Business Journal's 2006 "Best of the Bar" poll and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Insurance Law.
Admitted to practice:
Alabama
University of Alabama (B.A., with honors, 1984; J.D., 1987) (Order of the Barristers; Bench and Bar; John A. Campbell National Moot Court Team; Associate Editor, Law and Psychology Review; Edward M. Friend, Jr., Award)
"Spoliation of Evidence", Alabama Chapter, National Association of Subrogation Professionals, 2008
"Gather Information Critical to Your Case", Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Alabama, National Business Institute, 2008
"Understand What the Insurer Is - and Isn't - Responsible For", Settling Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims, National Business Institute, 2008
