Education

Law School/Year: UCLA, 1978

College/Year: USIU, California Western College, 1975

Bar Admissions

California; U.S. District Courts of the Southern, Central and Northern Districts of California; U.S. Court of Appeal for the 9th Circuit

Practice Areas

Real Estate, Business, Securities, Environmental, Intellectual Property Litigation

Major Cases

Mark Mazzarella is currently counsel to the Peregrine Litigation Trust in an action seeking $1.5 billion from certain Peregrine officers and directors for “insider trading.”

In 2003, he was trial counsel for the developer who successfully sued the city of San Diego ($1.5 million settlement) and the engineering firm of Parsons Brinkerhoff ($7.8 million jury verdict) in connection with the unsuccessful attempt to convert Brown Field into a commercial airport.

He was also counsel for San Diegans for Sensible Land Use, a group of 200 architects, engineers, lawyers and other residents and business owners in La Jolla, who sought to set aside the 2004 Local Coastal Plan for La Jolla, which impacted development from Bird Rock to Torrey Pines, and from the Pacific Ocean to Mt. Soledad.

Professional Background

Mazzarella joined Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps as an associate in 1978. In 1984 he became a partner and, in 1986, he became chair of the firm’s 60-member trial department and a member of its Management Committee.

In 1990, Mazzarella became chair of the trial department of the San Diego office of the real estate firm of Allen, Matkins, Leck, Gamble & Mallory.

In July 1991, he co-founded the business and real estate litigation boutique now known as Mazzarella Caldarelli, where he is currently the managing partner.

Between 1996 and 1999, in addition to continuing his law practice, Mazzarella co-authored, with jury consultant Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, the New York Times and international bestseller, Reading People and Put Your Best Foot Forward .

Professional Affiliations

2006 – present: Lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit; 1997 – present: Master in the American Inn of Court; Member: American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers; Instructor: American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Attorneys of California, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, National College of District Attorneys, California District Attorneys Association, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), California Western School of Law, University of San Diego, University of California at San Diego, University of California at Los Angeles

Personal Affiliations

Mazzarella’s spare time, such as it is, is spent renovating a loft in the old Carnation Dairy Building a block from Petco Park, writing and teaching programs throughout the United States on attorney ethics, trial advocacy, Reading People and impression management, and keeping up with his five children and four grandchildren.