Mark F. James, Esq.

Mark James has practiced law in Salt Lake City since 1988 and is the senior shareholder in the firm James Dodge Russell & Stephens. He has extensive trial experience representing clients in federal and state courts. His law practice focused on complex commercial and tort litigation, both on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. He has represented clients in a wide variety of disputes, including those involving a wide variety of business disputes, claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and numerous other claims, intellectual property, securities, trade secret, product liability, eminent domain, contracts, estate and trust disputes, insurance coverage, real property, ownership and control of businesses, derivative actions, construction law, personal injuries, wrongful death, and class actions. Mr. James also has extensive experience with disputes involving multilevel marketing companies and their distributors, disputes involving false advertising, misappropriation of trade secrets, cross-recruiting, interference with contract, and covenants not to compete.

Mr. James’ clients have enjoyed significant successes both at trial and in negotiated settlements. His trial successes include, among others, a jury award of over $24 million against DHL (Express) USA, Inc. for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and tortious interference. Settlements include a $15 million recovery in fraud class action along with numerous other significant recoveries. In addition, he has successfully defended many companies and individuals against a variety of different claims. He also acted as a court-appointed receiver and as a court-appointed special master.

Mr. James’ practice is now a full-time mediation practice. He has mediated numerous disputes involving a wide variety of issues, including contract disputes; personal injury and wrongful death cases; estate and trust disputes; business disputes; partnership disputes; real estate disputes; insurance coverage disputes; legal malpractice disputes; medical malpractice disputes; disputes involving multi-level marketing companies and/or distributors; construction defect disputes; claims involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty; and many others.  He has a blunt, “get it done” approach to mediation and is unhesitant to employ an out-of-the-box approach to resolve disputes.

Since 2004, Mr. James has been recognized annually in Utah Business Magazine by his peers as one of Utah’s “Legal Elite.”  He also has been recognized annually by Mountain States Super Lawyers since 2007, including on multiple occasions as one of the top 75 or top 100 lawyers in the Intermountain region (a five-state region consisting of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming).  In 2022 and again in 2023, Mr. James was recognized as one of the top 10 lawyers in that region.  He has been recognized multiple times by The Best Lawyers in America® and by Chambers and Partners, as well as by multiple other organizations.  Mr. James has served as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Aldon J. Anderson American Inns of Court.  He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest possible rating).  He also is a Certified Public Accountant.