Mark D. Tinker

Mark David Tinker is a Partner in the firm's Tampa office. He is Board Certified in Appellate Practice with The Florida Bar-a status earned by less than two-tenths of one percent of all Florida lawyers-and is the Chair of The Bar’s Appellate Practice Certification Committee. Mr. Tinker maintains an AV Preeminent distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence issued by Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings, and he is annually rated by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice, one of Florida’s appellate Super Lawyers, a Martindale-AVVO Rated Top Lawyer, and among the Nation’s Top Attorneys (Top One Percent) by The National Association of Distinguished Counsel. Mr. Tinker is similarly recognized by his contemporaries as among the Top Attorneys in Tampa Bay and Tampa’s Legal Elite, and he has been honored as one of Tampa’s Attorneys of the Year for his appellate proficiency each of the past six years.

Mr. Tinker is distinguished for handling industry-important appeals, and he has practiced before the United States Supreme Court, the Florida Supreme Court, all six of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, and the Federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. With over 23 years of experience, he has been lead counsel in more than 800 appellate matters, including appeals of final and interlocutory orders, certiorari, and other extraordinary writ proceedings. He has further presented over 160 oral arguments in the Florida Supreme Court, all Florida District Courts of Appeal, and the Federal 11th Circuit.

In conjunction with his appellate practice, Mr. Tinker has extensive experience analyzing insurance coverage issues involving property and homeowner’s, personal and commercial auto, commercial general liability, inland marine, directors and officers, Errors and Omissions, and professional liability policies and certificates. His coverage practice includes providing coverage opinions, responding to Civil Remedy notices and time demands, and litigating declaratory judgment actions. Mr. Tinker is recognized as a Top-Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law by Martindale-Hubbell, and he is annually rated as one of The Best Lawyers in America for insurance law, as well as one of Florida’s insurance law Super Lawyers .

Mr. Tinker is a recurring speaker for, and author with, several professional entities-including the Florida Bar-on topics including appellate practice, legal writing, issue preservation, and Florida bad faith law. An advocate of pro bono legal services, Mr. Tinker participates in the Free Legal Answers program administered by The Florida Bar, where he supplies legal advice and guidance to eligible low-income or poverty-level individuals, as well as the Bar’s Lawyers Advising Lawyers service, where other attorneys seek his guidance on matters of appellate practice and procedure.

Mr. Tinker obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, with concentrations in Psychology and Political Science, then earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Stetson University College of Law. While attending law school, Mr. Tinker was selected to the prestigious position of Executive Editor of the Stetson Law Review and received a series of distinctions, or “book awards,” for achieving the highest grades in Appellate Practice, Florida Civil Practice, Remedies, Torts II, Research and Writing I, and Research and Writing II. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the St. Petersburg Bar Association, and the international legal honor society Phi Delta Phi.

Awards & Recognitions

Super Lawyers 2017 - 2020, 2024 - Present

The Best Lawyers in America , Appellate Practice, Insurance Law, recognized since 2018

Nation's Top Attorneys, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel

Tampa's Attorney of the Year, Tampa Style, Annually Since 2019

Top Attorneys in Tampa Bay, Tampa Magazine, Since 2015

Florida Trend's Legal Elite for Tampa, Since 2022

Newsroom

News

•Appellate Court Issues Rare Reversal in Volusia County Coverage Dispute
Recent Successful Trial, 9.22.2025
•Series of Appellate Wins - Insurance - Florida’s Fifth and Sixth District Courts of Appeal
Publication, 1.17.2024
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•Appellate Win
Appellate, 5.17.2022
•New Ruling in Favor of CSK Client Clarifying Rules for Assignees on Insurance Policies
Firm News, 3.10.2022