Mark Robert McKinniss

I mostly concentrate on two fields of endeavor, either of which could be all-consuming: Personal Injury and Criminal Defense. Although I worked at the District Attorney’s Office for 18 years and had a pretty good handle on the criminal justice system, I resisted at first representing criminal defendants. I naturally fell into the personal injury field and have done well. I recently represented a young guy who was seriously injured when his Chevy Silverado became an ‘L” shape after colliding with a telephone pole. His previous attorney was going to settle his case for the other driver’s policy limits. We found that she owned some property and sought an extra-judicial settlement for the value of the property, then partnered with another attorney and made a crash-worthiness case against General Motors. Instead of settling for a $15,000 policy, we got our client’s mid-six figures in his pocket. We do go the extra mile. I found I was pretty successful in front of a jury in criminal matters and won several difficult cases. But I found out it was all about the facts of the case, not all about me. Winning a “Not Guilty” verdict is a pretty good feeling, but sometimes the better part of valor is striking an advantageous “deal’ with the DA. Very few if any attorneys can say, “I win all my cases!” or “My clients always love me!” That’s just not the real world. I try to foster a good relationship with my clients and get them the best possible outcome. And I try to make a living without squeezing the life’s blood out of people. That’s success to me.