Mark O’Halloran, Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer, Turns Idealism into Accomplishment
Mark O’Halloran didn’t start out with the Law in mind, but many of the people that he helps every day are glad he did. With a BA in Political Science and Speech Communications, after college Mark initially took a job with the Starbucks Corporation. His exposure to their legal department, combined with the fact that his older brother was an attorney, inspired him to consider law school.
Mark’s older brother, Scott was a significant influence. Mark’s admiration for his brother continues even though they work on opposite sides of the courtroom. Scott is a defense attorney. In fact, this admiration allows Mark to see the full picture of each case and helps him be more objective in his analysis and approach. It also helps when things become heated in the courtroom. He remains civil, despite the adversarial atmosphere.
During his 12 years as an attorney, Mark has accumulated an impressive number of awards, but the one that is most important to him is the ABA Star of the Year because it was earned for public service—providing free legal advice to seniors. This was a national collaborative effort and recognition by the American Bar Association for this volunteer effort is a high honor.
Idealism, fighting for something you believe in, is important to Mark. He fights every day to make sure that people have adequate representation when they are up against insurance companies. As a personal injury lawyer, he wants to make sure that injury cases, especially those that have devastating effects on families, are tried fairly and that the plaintiffs receive the payout they deserve. He helps in a way that they are unable to help themselves.
There are many misconceptions about lawyers. This can affect a jury’s reaction. Greed, ambulance-chasing, and only being in law for the money are popular sources of bias. Mark defuses these fallacies when in front of a jury, explaining that he is there because he knows that everyone should have fair representation at trial. Often, cases will take hundreds of hours of work and produce no monetary result for him. He does it so that he can ensure fairness for all.
Mark cares deeply about the importance of the Rule of Law. His dedication leads to social service in educating the public about the necessity of the courts. He advocates for the funding of the courts and would like to be involved in the way judges are elected, changing the way campaign funds are obtained and utilized to ensure that politics and favors are not a part of that system.
In fact, Mark compares the law to baseball, a sport he loves. Every position, every play, every rule is meaningful. Errors are made, but with practice, strategy, and attention to detail, we can enjoy the game as we work toward our goals.
When he isn’t protecting the rights of others in court, Mark considers his most significant accomplishment to be his family. He and wife of five years welcomed a daughter three and half months ago. Work stays at work. At home, he’s enjoying life as a new dad. Work may stay at work, but his values stay intact, something he is sure to share with his daughter as she grows up.
Mark O’Halloran grew up in Seattle. He went to school here. He is proud of it. He believes in the good justice system here. He is in the business for all the right reasons. He works hard and he works efficiently. He works for the people of Seattle.
Gosanko and O’Halloran is an established and respected personal injury firm in Seattle. For more information about Mark O’Halloran, please visit the Gosanko and O’Halloran website or call 206.275.0700.