Q&A with Mark Berman
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Q&A
Q&A with Mark Berman
Mark Berman, a 1986 graduate of Columbia College, is a partner in the Commercial Litigation, Cooperative and Condominium Law and Employment and Labor Law Practice Groups at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer LLP in New York. He has extensive experience in representing private and public companies, as well as partnerships and individuals, as plaintiffs and defendants, in court and in arbitral forums, in complex commercial matters, with an emphasis on real estate and securities disputes, electronic discovery conflicts, and complex title insurance issues. An alumnus of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, where he graduated magna cum laude, Berman is a seasoned appellate attorney and also is a trained mediator.
Q: Before becoming an attorney, what was your first job?
A: Management Consultant.
Q: What motivated you to pursue a legal career?
A: I took two law classes in college at the London School of Economics.
At a Shakespeare Festival several years ago at Boscobel along the Hudson River, the Berman boys struck a pose with the former President and First Lady, Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Q: Who was your chief mentor and how did he or she influence your career?
A: The federal judge I clerked for. I watched as he took care in every decision to come out the way that he thought was fair and appropriate. He took pains to understand both sides of a situation, and that has stuck with me my whole career, and has influenced how I represent clients.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: “When you write a brief, everyone counts and needs to be meaningful to your point.”
The legendary “Mr. Met,” the popular mascot of the New York Mets, was in good company in this photo with Mark, Brenda, and Jesse.
Q: What is one thing you would like to learn to do?
A: Scuba dive.
Q: What is your proudest career achievement?
A: I was able to cause New York State to create a new CLE requirement for cyber-security, making it the first state in the country to do so.
Q: What other career path might you have chosen?
A: Architect.
Mark Berman
Q: What is your favorite movie and book?
A: Movie: “My Cousin Vinny.”
Book: “The Odyssey.”
Aidan, age 13, at his Bar Mitzvah, which was celebrated with his parents and brother Jesse, 14, at Chelsea Pier in New York City.
Q: What is the most awe-inspiring place you have visited?
A: A tie: The Western Wall and the Great Wall of China.
Q: What are your favorite leisure time pursuits?
A: Spending time with my two adolescent sons.
Q: What is your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
A: Honesty is the best policy.
Q: Who is on your guest list for the ideal dinner party?
A: Franklin Roosevelt, Golda Meir, and George Washington.
Q: What are the top three items on your bucket list?
A: Going into outer space. Taking a cruise around the world. Going to the Galapagos Islands.
