Mediation is an alternative means of resolving business disputes. In certain circumstances, litigation and trial may not be the best solution. Through Mark’s cost-effective approach to mediation, he provides an expeditious means of dispute resolution while preserving business relationships and protecting confidentiality. As an impartial mediator, Mark is knowledgeable about various disputes and subject matter and regularly mediates cases in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Mark Shepard is prepared to mediate any type of commercial case, environmental case, oil and gas dispute, insurance coverage dispute, closely-held business dispute, professional negligence cases, trucking accident cases, toxic tort cases, all types of injury cases, products liability cases, trade secrets cases, condominium or co-operative association disputes, construction disputes as well as any federal or state statutory claims including securities fraud, ADA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, antitrust, civil rights, Lanham Act and RICO.

His promise to you is that, should you select him to serve as your mediator, you will get 150% of his attention, energy, effort, preparation, commitment, and passion throughout the mediation process no matter how long it may last with no charge for travel time.

Benefits of mediation vs. traditional litigation include:

• Cost-effective. Eliminates costly court and attorney fees.
• Eliminates waiting for a court date. The more mediation is utilized, the less backlog in the courts. The ability to act on a case sooner means a much smaller chance that parties to the case have become moved or have forgotten pertinent details. 
• Salvages business relationships. Avoiding adversarial litigation helps salvage important business relationships and negates some of the ill will that could result from litigation.
• Parties control outcome. Involved parties select an impartial neutral mediator to facilitate confidential negotiations and help them reach a mutually acceptable agreement. A settlement can only be reached with both parties’ approval as the mediator has no power to decide or a stake in the outcome.  Agreement terms can also be outside of normal statutory and common law remedies.
• Confidentiality. The mediation itself is confidential and no written opinion is generated based on the results, which saves parties from facing public relations problems.  The settlement agreement usually stipulates that the settlement is confidential.
• Protects employee morale. Workplace and corporate disputes disrupt business, negatively impact productivity and employee morale, cause public embarrassment, and result in otherwise unnecessary litigation costs.

Choosing the right arbitrator is an important decision when a commercial dispute is required to be decided through an arbitration process. As a trained arbitrator, Mark’s extensive experience enables him to manage cases efficiently and fairly, accurately manage the pre-arbitration process and the arbitration hearing, and deliver a sound award based on facts and the law. Whether arbitration proceedings are in the area of commercial, bankruptcy, environmental, employment and labor, construction, insurance, product liability or corporate law, Mark understands that arbitration must deliver results through a cost-efficient process. He works actively with counsel to tailor the proceedings to the needs of the case by establishing and adhering to streamlined processes and schedules that allow all parties to develop their cases without unnecessary steps and costs. He conducts a fair and efficient hearing, followed by a timely award.

Based on his experience and reputation, Mark has been accepted as a commercial litigation panel member for the American Arbitration Association^® (AAA^®), and a panel member for the National Arbitration and Mediation Association (NAM).

Benefits of arbitration vs. traditional litigation include:

• Cost-effective. Faster and fewer procedural steps than litigation.
• Confidentiality. Proceedings are private to protect sensitive information.
• Flexible process. Allows parties to customize the process.
• Impartiality. Neutral third party decision makers.
• Expedited process. Resolve disputes faster than litigation.
• Final resolution. The outcome to the dispute is based on evidence and applicable laws.

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Mr. Shepard has participated in numerous forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) including commercial arbitration, mediation, mini-trials and early neutral evaluation. He has been retained regularly as a mediator and arbitrator for complex commercial, products liability, insurance coverage, securities and natural resources cases. He currently serves as a mediator, arbitrator and early neutral evaluator in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Based on his experience and reputation, Mark has been accepted as a commercial litigation panel member for the American Arbitration Association^® (AAA^®), and a panel member for the National Arbitration and Mediation Association (NAM).

As a trusted mediator and arbitrator for more than 20 years, and an experienced trial lawyer for more than 40 years, Mark Shepard has assisted thousands of parties in resolving complex legal disputes among individuals and businesses of all types and sizes. He is trained and experienced in mediation and arbitration proceedings in the substantive areas of corporate/commercial, environmental, employment and labor, construction, insurance coverage, class actions, products liability and all types of tort matters and has a proven track record in resolving a variety of complex cases and disputes, including: 

• Commercial cases
• Environmental cases
• Oil and gas cases
• Insurance coverage cases
• Professional negligence cases, including medical and dental malpractice
• Trucking accident cases
• Toxic tort cases
• Injury cases
• Products liability cases
• Trade secrets cases
• Employment discrimination cases
• Banking and loan cases
• Closely-held business disputes
• Condominium or co-operative association disputes
• Construction disputes
• Property-related disputes, including eminent domain and partition actions
• Federal or state statutory claims including securities fraud, ADA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, antitrust, civil rights, Lanham Act and RICO
• Bankruptcy disputes
• Non-bankruptcy commercial disputes

Mark Shepard has participated in numerous forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings including commercial arbitration, mediation, mini-trials and early neutral evaluation. He has been retained regularly as a mediator for complex commercial, products liability, insurance coverage, securities and natural resources cases. Mr. Shepard currently serves as a mediator, arbitrator and early neutral evaluator in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

He is admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth and Sixth Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia.

Mark is an active member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar associations. He serves as a commercial litigation panel member for the American Arbitration Association^® (AAA^®) as well as a panel member for the National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM). He also was appointed to the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Commission in 2007 for a three-year term. Mr. Shepard served as chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section in 2000-2001 and as a member of the Bar Association’s Board of Governors from 2005-2011. In 2001, he was elected to membership in the Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Shepard has served as chairman of the Academy’s Program Committee. For a number of years, he coordinated the county-wide High School Mock Trial competition. Mr. Shepard was ranked in Chambers and Partners’ Chambers USA Guide in the Pennsylvania – Litigation: Mediators section since 2023 and Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds – Litigation: General Commercial section since 2020-2022. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America^© in the Commercial Litigation Section since 2006, Litigation – Environmental Section since 2011, Bet-the-Company Litigation Section since 2015 and Mediation Section for 2025.  He was named the Best Lawyers^® 2019 Litigation – Environmental “Lawyer of the Year” and 2022 Bet-the-Company Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa. Mr. Shepard is rated by Martindale-Hubbell as AV Preeminent, Peer Rated for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence. He was also selected to the 2005-2023 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and 2011-2014 Top 50: Pittsburgh Super Lawyers lists (Thomson Reuters).

He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1979 where he earned a B.A. and was selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa. Mark earned his J.D. at Duke University in 1982 where he was a member of the Duke Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

“Mark Shepard is recognized as a leading name in the ADR space. He is able to draw upon his extensive litigation experience in the Pennsylvania market. He’s brilliant. He is one of the best lawyers I know and has a wonderful temperament.”