Mark L. Venardi

mark@vefirm.com
Toll Free: (866) 451-9693

Born:
Seattle, Washington
May 5, 1962

Education:
University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1991
Hastings College of the Law, University of California at San Francisco, J.D., 1994

Peer Review Rating: AV Rated

Admissions: 1994, California

Practice Areas:

Auto Accident, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Maritime Personal Injury, Employment Law (Harassment, Discrimination and Whistleblower protection cases), Insurance Bad Faith

Membership:

San Francisco (Chairman, Young Barristers' Division Admiralty Committee, 1996) and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; American Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Sections on: Admiralty Law, Employment Rights, Product Liability); San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association; National Employment Lawyers Association.

Biography:

Chairman, Moot Court Competition Committee, 1993-1994. Recipient, Outstanding Oral Argument Award, Snodgrass Competition, 1993. Member, University of San Francisco Maritime Law Review, 1994. Judicial Extern, Honorable Charles Legge, United States District Court Northern District of California, 1993. Speaker, "A Primer on Maritime Law," Young Barristers' Division Admiralty Committee, October 1995; "Investigating Personal Injury Claims," California Association of Private Investigators, June 1996; "California Lawyer Roundtable Discussion on Employment Law," June 2002; "Employment Related Records in California" Lorman Education Services, September 2003, February 2004. Author: "To Arbitrate or Not," Silicon Valley Business Weekly, May 2001.

Mark Venardi was born in 1962 in Seattle, Washington. He served from 1980 through 1985 in the United States Coast Guard – two years patrolling from the Grand Banks (think Perfect Storm) to the Windward Passage (think between Cuba and Haiti) aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa, two years patrolling Southeast Alaska aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Planetree, and one year at Group Seattle performing search and rescue. Mr. Venardi then worked for approximately one year on the Chevron offshore oil platform Hermosa, off Point Conception, California.

Mr. Venardi earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991 and his J.D. in 1994 from the University of California, San Francisco, Hastings College of the Law. Mr. Venardi was admitted to the California Bar in December 2004, and he has earned an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Venardi was an associate at Cox Wootton, Griffin & Hansen for four years before he joined Haight, Gardner Holland & Knight in 1998. He was elevated to Partner at Holland & Knight in 2001. In October 2004, Mr. Venardi and Mr. Elam founded The Venardi Elam Firm. The majority of our clients are wrongfully terminated employees and injured persons whose injuries are of such severity as to reduce or eliminate their earning capacities in their chosen occupation. In addition, we represent small business owners in disputes with other businesses. We have been very successful in the initial two years of our plaintiffs’ practice with verdicts or settlements that exceed $10 million.

Mr. Venardi’s other activities include having fun with and sharing adventures with his family, bicycling, surfing, sailing, and scuba diving.