Mark A Garfinkel, Esq.

Mark is a business and transactional attorney who has represented entrepreneurs, startups, businesses, investors, and NGOs for 30 years. He has been General Counsel to several domestic and international companies including a Korean art materials manufacturer, a software developer, a communications company, and two USG contractors.  Mark has a personal business background in construction, retail, real estate, and information technology.  From 2001-2008, Mark was the General Counsel of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a USG financial institution that makes commercial loans and sells political risk insurance to overseas projects that have U.S. investor backing.  From 1994-1996, he was Chief of Staff of the U.S. International Trade Commission.  Mark has also been a project manager on several USG  IT contracts, and he is an experienced mediator. Mark is licensed to practice in MD and WV and has offices in Hagerstown, MD and Berkeley Springs, WV.

After practicing law in Washington, DC area for over 25 years, he and his family moved to Berkeley Springs, WV. Mark now works closely with business clients in WV and Maryland often functioning as a part-time in-house general counsel.  In that capacity he handles a variety of matters including business and real estate transactions and disputes, contracts, vendor relationships, litigation, intellectual property protection (IP), employment, real estate and litigation management.  Mark also has significant experience handling personal injury, other tort and employment matters for plaintiffs. His international practice focuses on structuring and financing overseas projects, commercial transactions, IP protection and commercial mediation.  See Practice Areas for a full list.  When not chained to his desk you can find Mark solving problems outdoors on a cliff face, playing golf or in the garden.

Mark is on the Board of the Morgan County, WV Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) and the Town of Bath (Berkeley Springs, WV) Development Authority.

Working with Mark, you get personal service, reasonable rates, and the equivalent of big firm experience. Helping emerging companies grow without risk is his passion.  No matter how big or small a clients' matter, Mark is personally accessible.  He understands that the high cost of legal services warrants value. Mark is a skilled legal and strategic advisor and will help you assess your case, evaluate potential leverage and understand the legal principles that govern outcome.

University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas;  JD, May 1987;  

Masters of Science in Social Work, University of Texas; MSSW 1982, with focus on counseling and management.   

Mark is open to alternative fee arrangements and will evaluate your case for a contingent fee agreement.  He sometimes discount rates for NGOs and in other special circumstances. Mark intentionally keeps his rate below the rate he would charge if he worked at a larger lawfirm by keeping his overhead to a minimum.

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