Mark Landes

A brief scan of Mark Landes’ illustrious career accomplishments reveals why no case can intimidate him. He was a prosecutor for a US cavalry unit stationed along the Iron Curtain, and served as a civil litigator at The Pentagon.

More recently, Mark earned an $11.2 million jury verdict for a developer, and represents 65 Ohio counties and 110 school districts and other government entities and businesses.

His appointments are impressive as well, as he was named special master for the U.S. District Court, and serves as Special Counsel for the Ohio Attorney General for some of their most challenging cases. Mark is also on the Drafting Committee of the Ohio Jury Instructions for employment discrimination cases.

Mark has been a former Managing Partner of Isaac Wiles and Co-chair of the Public Law practice group.

Articles & Presentations

Articles
•Landes Inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2025, November 20, 2025
•Landes Appointed Trustee to Mid-Ohio Water & Sewer District, September 4, 2024
•Changing Juries: The Impact of Millennial Jurors on Trials and Verdicts, October 5, 2022
•Mark Landes Talks with WTVN 610 Radio About Ohio H.B. 253 and H.B. 248
•Is it a HIPAA Violation For Your Employer to Ask About Your Vaccination Status?
•What are the legal issues surrounding “Vaccine Passports”? Interview with 10TV News
•What is the Reasonable Use of Force Against the Mentally Ill?
•Pregnancy Discrimination covers more than pregnancy, says EEOC
•Prisoner’s right to contact family does not give claim for denial of overseas calls
•Anthony Sowell’s victim strikes out in court; lessons for law enforcement follow
•School Treasurer blows budget; tells Board, gets fired. Court says can sue for retaliation
•Judge chases Public Defender out of town; no lawsuit
•Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Instructions, Ohio Jury Instructions
Presentations
•Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association. Immunity Update 2021
•Court Administrator’s Conference Employee Investigations 2019
•SORSA Annual Membership Meeting: ML’s topic: Millennial Jurors, September 2017
•“Supervisors Say the Darndest Things,” CORMA 2017 Public Sector Risk Management Seminars, August 2017
•Willis Pooling Symposium: ML’s topic: “Emerging Claim and Litigation Managing Your Legal Fees;” Scottsdale, Arizona, April 2017
•CORSA Annual Agents Meeting: ML’s topic: “Ohio Stop Gap Liability;” October 2015
•Pickaway County Board of Developmental Disabilities: ML’s topic: “Sunshine Law;” August 2015
•Ohio Transit Risk Pool: ML’s topic: “ADA Obligations for Bus Drivers;” August 2015
•Ohio Transit Risk Pool: ML’s topic: “Open Records for OTRP Risk Managers and Human Resource Personnel - Sunshine Law;” February 2015
•OACTA Annual Meeting: ML’s topic: “Developments and Abuses in E-Discovery and Where are the Changes?” November 2014
•Willis Pooling Symposium: ML’s topic: “Emerging Claim and Litigation Managing Your Legal Fees;” Squaw Valley, California, September 2014
•CORMA-Public Sector Safety/Risk Management Seminar: ML’s topic: “Dealing with Problem Employees;” May 2014
•Willis Pooling Symposium: ML’s topic: “Emerging Claim and Litigation Managing Your Legal Fees;” Washington, D.C., October 2013
•CBA Bench/Bar Retreat - Masters Series: ML’s topic: “Masters Series: Lawyers in Literature and Cinema;” September 2013
•SORSA Annual Membership Meeting: ML’s topic: “Emerging Liability Trends;” September 2013
•OSBA School Law Webcast (for Ohio School Boards Assn.): ML’s topic: “Access to Students and Records: Custody, Divorce, Abuse and Neglect;” June 2013
•OSBA Sports Law Workshop (for Ohio School Boards Assn.): ML’s topic: “Cyberlaw and Athletic Discipline;” June 2010
•Legal Update for Public Employers, Annual Seminar, 2010
•Cyberlaw and Athletic Discipline, OSBA Sports Law Workshop, 2010
•The Written Agreement: Incorporating Novel Solutions, The Advocate in
•Mediation: Basic & Higher Level Concepts, 2009
•Electronic and Student Records, OSBA Spring Seminar, 2009
•Attack of the Killer Trees and Other Tales From the Courthouse, Ohio Tree Care Conference, 2009
•Essential Aspects of Sunshine Law, Commissioners’ Training Session, 2009
•Ethics in E-Discovery, Ethics, Professionalism & Substance Abuse, 2008

Experience

United States Military

•Judge Advocate, United States Army Reserve. As the former Chief of Training, 9th Legal Services Organization, advised the command and its soldiers on all legal issues. Assumed responsibility for all operations and training within a JAG unit. Retired as Lieutenant Colonel.
•Civil Litigation Attorney, Department of the Army-nominated and competitively selected as a member of the Army Litigation Division. Represented the Departments of Defense and Army in all aspects of sensitive civil litigation, including constitutional challenges to personnel policies. Wrote briefs filed in federal courts throughout the country. Edited briefs of Defense and Justice Department litigators, 1985-87
•Trial Counsel, Fulda, Germany-served as military equivalent of district attorney for a community of 15,000 located on the Iron Curtain. Tried over 60 cases, including those involving murderers and spies, 1983-85
•Legal Assistance Attorney, Frankfurt, Germany-acted as a general practitioner to community of 70,000, providing legal counsel to clients on estate, domestic, landlord-tenant, consumer, and tax law. Drafted approximately 300 separation agreements, 200 wills, and numerous advocacy letters, 1982-83

Appointed Positions

•Special Master, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Appointed by federal judge in Martin v. Taft to resolve a dispute over $655 million of funding per year for services for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled individuals in Ohio.
•Special Monitor, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Appointed by federal judge for Value Behavioral Health v. State of Ohio to review contracting process for multi-million dollar public contract.
•Mediator, Appointed by federal and state courts to mediate all types of disputes. Frequently retained by private parties to mediate resolutions of litigated and pre-suit matters, including employment, business, and personal injury matters.

Bar Associations

•Past President, Federal Bar Association, Columbus Chapter (two tours)
•Past Chair, Labor and Employment Committee, Columbus Bar Association
•Past Chair, Federal Courts Committee, Ohio State Bar Association
•Select Member, Jury Instructions Committee, Ohio State Bar Association
•Select Member, Judicial Screening Committee, Columbus Bar Association, 2009-11

Teaching Positions

•Adjunct Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University, College of Law-Legal Writing, 1991-92

Other Positions

•Member, Ohio Jury Instructions Drafting Committee, Ohio Judicial College. Selected by the Ohio Supreme Court to serve as special member on a committee of judges to draft pattern jury instructions for jury trials involving employment litigation. Jury instructions and their commentaries are known as authoritative among Ohio judges and lawyers.
•Author, Jury Verdict Reports, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. With the cooperation of the Court and the Federal Bar Association, Columbus Chapter, chronicle each jury verdict from the federal courthouse in Columbus.
•Legal Counsel, County Engineers Association of Ohio-counsel to the Association to advise on legal liability and give opinions concerning safety, contracting and personnel issues, 1993-94
•Member, Ohio State Dental Board, 2003-2006. Member of the regulatory body over the dentists of Ohio, considering licensing, discipline and availability of services.

Outside Activities

•President, City Council of London, Ohio, 1981-1982. Elected head of the legislative body of county seat of 7,000. Drafted $3 million budget; organized passage of a tax renewal
•Editor-in-Chief, Johns Hopkins University Magazine, 1978
•Aide, United States Senator Robert Taft, Jr., 1976
•Clerk, Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library, 1975

Honors

•The American Lawyer, 2021 Top Rated Litigator
•Ohio Super Lawyers, 2006-2025
•Ohio Super Lawyers, “Top 50: 2018 Columbus Super Lawyers”
•The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - First Amendment; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Litigation - Municipal, 2009-2026
•The Best Lawyers in America Columbus, Ohio “Lawyer of the Year”, 2020, 2022
• Columbus CEO Top Lawyers, 2022, 2025
•AV - Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
•Named a Central Ohio Lawyer of the Year, 2013
•Co-Lead counsel in Multi-District Litigation for class action