Most swag when you attend a conference is okay - nothing new that you don’t expect. A new coffee mug, a tote bag, maybe a charger you’ll toss in your desk drawer and forget about. Useful? Sure. Unforgettable? Not usually. But when Mark Shoffner handed out The Companion at the Texas General Counsel Forum Annual Conference on behalf of his firm, he broke the mold. The gift was a hit, the laughs kept coming, and months later people were still talking about it and, frankly, hoping it makes a comeback at the next annual conference. So naturally, when Mark joined us on Counsel Brew, The Companion came with him. As Mark joked, he might never have made it onto the podcast without it. The Companion isn't the only unforgettable part of Mark’s story, though. Long before he became an employment lawyer, he thought law school would be a stop on the way to a career in government. A knee injury during high school unexpectedly traded sports for the debate team, where Mark learned to argue both sides of an issue, think on his feet, and make a case when he didn't know what was coming next. It turns out that was pretty useful preparation for a career he never really planned to have. There was even a side bet among the first-year associates at his first firm that Mark would be the first to quit. Fast forward several years, and we feel comfortable saying somebody lost that bet. Today, Mark has built a career around employment law, litigation, and solving problems that rarely arrive with simple answers. He talks about the competitive streak hiding beneath his calm exterior, why a new client or unusual set of facts can still give him a dopamine hit, and what he loves about finding an argument no one else has made. And because some victories deserve their own place in the record, Mark spills the beans on representing his mother-in-law over a speeding ticket in University Park. When Mark requested a jury trial, things got interesting. Needless to say, the parties found their way to a resolution in chambers before a jury ever had to hear the case. For a lawyer who has handled multimillion-dollar disputes, Mark still considers it some of his finest work. Add in law school memories, raising three kids, recruiting lawyers, the changing legal profession, and one truly unforgettable conference giveaway, and we had plenty to catch up on with Mark. In This Episode Why Mark originally saw a law degree as a path to government rather than private practiceHow an injury and an unexpected turn on the debate team helped prepare him for a career in lawWhy employment law gives Mark the mix of strategy, competition, counseling, and problem-solving he still enjoysWhere Mark sees real value for lawyers as AI changes the profession, and why you should still read the caseHow a speeding ticket turned into one of Mark's most memorable legal victoriesThe story of The Companion, the best conference gift ever!! About Mark Shoffner Mark Shoffner is a partner at Bell Nunnally, where his practice focuses on employment counseling and litigation and commercial litigation. He advises businesses and executives on employment disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, wage-and-hour matters, discrimination claims, employment and severance agreements, and other workplace issues. Mark earned his J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2002 after graduating from Louisiana Tech University. He also served as a judicial law clerk to U.S. District Judge Robert G. James in the Western District of Louisiana. Listen now: Find Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shoffner-a1442b6/ Message us at hello@counselbrew.com Visit us at http://www.counselbrew.com And Follow us @counselbrew https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-brew/ Send us Fan Mail Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.
