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'{{multiple issues| {{coi|date=October 2019}} {{Undisclosed paid}} {{disputed|date=October 2019}} {{Cleanup|reason=COI & UPE|date=January 2021}} {{Cleanup rewrite|date=January 2021}} }} '''William Mark Lanier''' (born October 20, 1960<ref name="ReferenceA">Koppel, Nathan. "Lone Star Rising" ''[[The American Lawyer]]''. March 2004.</ref>) is an [[United States|American]] [[Lawyer|trial lawyer]] and founder and [[CEO]] of the Lanier Law Firm. ==Education== After graduating from [[Coronado High School (Lubbock, Texas)|Coronado High School]] in [[Lubbock, Texas]], Lanier attended [[Texas Tech University]] and [[David Lipscomb University]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. In 1984, Lanier attended the [[Texas Tech University School of Law]], where he received his [[Juris Doctor]]ate. Lanier was selected as Texas Tech's distinguished alumnus for 2016, and also serves on the board of the law school's foundation.<ref name="Texas Tech University School of Law">{{cite web|url=http://www.law.ttu.edu|title=State of Texas and Texas Tech - School of Law TTU|last=|first=|website=www.law.ttu.edu.}}</ref> ==Legal career== Lanier began his legal career working in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] for [[Fulbright & Jaworski]] (Norton Rose Fulbright) in 1984, working in the [[appellate]] and trial divisions.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 1990, Lanier founded The Lanier Law Firm. Verdicts have included millions in business fraud, asbestos, and other product-use related lawsuits.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amoco Loses Oilfield Suit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/24/business/amoco-loses-oilfield-suit.html |work=The New York Times |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=24 November 1993}}</ref><ref>Olafson, Steve. "21 Steelworkers who contracted asbestos disease win $115 million," ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. February 20, 1998.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Berenson |first1=Alex |title=Jury Calls Merck Liable in Death of Man on Vioxx |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/20/business/jury-calls-merck-liable-in-death-of-man-on-vioxx.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=20 August 2005}}</ref> Some of Lanier's trials have been carried on the [[Court-TV]] website and have been the subject of various articles and books. In 2004 Lanier founded the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.<ref>Jeffreys, Brenda Sapino. "[http://christiantriallawyers.org/02232004_christianlawyers.pdf Texas Christian Trial Lawyers Association Formed]" ''[[Texas Lawyer]]''. February 23, 2004.</ref> In 2017, Lanier was elected president of the [[National Trial Lawyers]] in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenationaltriallawyers.org/leadership/civil-plaintiff-officers-executive-committee-top-100/|title=Civil Plaintiff – Officers & Executive Committee|date=2015-02-20|work=[[The National Trial Lawyers]]|access-date=2018-07-16|language=en-US}}</ref> ===Vioxx litigation=== {{further|Rofecoxib#Litigation}} In 2005, Lanier represented Carol Ernst in a lawsuit against Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company and manufacturer of [[Vioxx]], an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat osteoarthritis and acute pain conditions. Ernst was married to Robert Ernst, a former marathon runner who died after taking the medication. The case was initially decided in Ernst's favor, with a jury awarding her a $253 million verdict. In another case Lanier obtained consumer fraud findings against Merck was it was claimed had misled doctors and patients by concealing information about Vioxx and its risks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/22/business/vioxx-verdict-raises-profile-of-texas-lawyer.html|title=Vioxx Verdict Raises Profile of Texas Lawyer|last=Berenson|first=Alex|access-date=2018-07-16|language=en|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/08/19/merck-vioxx-verdict-cx_mh_0819vioxx.html#78949b45e217|title=Merck Loses First Vioxx Trial|last=Herper|first=Matthew|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-07-16|language=en}}</ref> The first ruling was overturned on appeal in 2008 with the court noting Lanier "had not proved that Vioxx caused Mr. Ernst’s death" and compensatory damages were reduced in the second.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Berenson |first1=Alex |title=Courts Reject Two Major Vioxx Verdicts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/business/30drug.html |accessdate=24 October 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=30 May 2008}}</ref> ===Artificial hip litigation=== Lanier has represented plaintiffs in several lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Synthes, which Johnson & Johnson acquired in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/21/deals/johnson/|title=Johnson & Johnson acquires DePuy for $3.5B - Jul. 21, 1998|website=money.cnn.com |publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=2017-12-20}}</ref> The lawsuits allege that DePuy marketed a faulty hip replacement system, despite knowledge that the devices were defective, and that the company failed to warn doctors and patients about the risks involved. This has led to several replacements being removed after failing prematurely.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/business/johnson-johnson-to-offer-2-5-billion-hip-device-settlement.html|title=Johnson & Johnson in Deal to Settle Hip Implant Lawsuits|last=Meier|first=Barry|date=2013-11-19|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-12-20|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In March 2016, five North Texas residents being represented by Lanier were awarded $497.6 million for alleged complications arising from the hip implants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dallas-jury-awards-nearly-500-million-against-jj-unit-in-bellwether-hip-implant-trial-300237873.html|title=Dallas Jury Awards Nearly $500 Million Against J&J Unit in Bellwether Hip Implant Trial|last=Firm|first=The Lanier Law|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-20}}</ref> In November, 2016, Lanier won a lawsuit in which Johnson & Johnson and DePuy were ordered to pay more than $1 billion to six plaintiffs affected by the implants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-verdict-hipimplants/johnson-johnson-hit-with-over-1-billion-verdict-on-hip-implants-idUSKBN13Q5XF|title=Johnson & Johnson hit with over $1 billion verdict on hip implants|date=2016-12-02|agency=[[Reuters]]|accessdate=2017-12-20}}</ref> In 2017, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $247 million to six New York residents Lanier represented who had received the same hip replacements.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/health-care/2017/11/16/dallas-jury-orders-johnson-johnson-pay-247-million-hip-implant-patients|title=Dallas jury orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $247 million to hip implant patients|date=2017-11-16|newspaper=[[Dallas News]]|access-date=2017-12-20|language=en}}</ref> ===Johnson & Johnson talc litigation=== {{further|Johnson & Johnson#Baby powder}} In 2018, Lanier led the trial team representing 22 women who had filed suit against [[Johnson & Johnson]]. The lawsuit alleged that the company's [[talcum powder]] products contained asbestos and that, after several years of use, had caused each of the women's [[ovarian cancer]]. The trial lasted six weeks and resulted in $550 million in compensatory damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages being awarded to the plaintiffs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/12/business/johnson-johnson-talcum-powder.html|title=Johnson & Johnson Told to Pay $4.7 Billion in Baby Powder Lawsuit|date=2018-07-12|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=2018-07-13}}</ref> ==Personal life== Lanier is married to Becky (Smith) and they have five children.<ref name="lanierlawfirm.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.lanierlawfirm.com/attorneys/w_mark_lanier.htm|title=The Lanier Law Firm|website=www.lanierlawfirm.com}}</ref> He is the brother-in-law of former state representative and former congressional candidate, [[Kevin Roberts (politician)|Kevin Roberts]]. Lanier funded an opposing [[Political action committee|super PAC]] which ran ads against [[Dan Crenshaw]]'s candidacy for the nomination leading up to the Republican run-off election between Roberts and Crenshaw in the 2018 race to replace retiring Congressman [[Ted Poe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Attack-ads-in-Houston-race-being-funded-by-12923612.php|title=Attack ads in Houston race being funded by brother-in-law's business|date=2018-05-17|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=2018-11-19}}</ref> Lanier appears as himself in the 2011 film ''[[Puncture (film)|Puncture]]''. Lanier has organized several events on behalf of Guatemala SANA, an organization which provides health and education services in [[Santa María de Jesús|Santa Maria de Jesus]], a town near [[Antigua Guatemala]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/life/article/Bon-Jovi-rocks-the-Lanier-Christmas-party-1549039.php|title=Bon Jovi Rocks the Lanier Christmas Party|date=2009-12-27|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|accessdate=2018-07-13}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *[http://www.lanierlawfirm.com Lanier Law Firm website] *[http://www.biblical-literacy.com Lanier's Biblical Literacy website] {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lanier, W. Mark}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Texas lawyers]] [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:Lipscomb University alumni]] [[Category:Texas Tech University alumni]] [[Category:Texas Tech University School of Law alumni]] [[Category:American Christian writers]] [[Category:People from Dallas]]'