Mark has been ranked for many years in the legal directories as a leading junior in both sports law and employment law. The 2010 edition of the Chambers and Partners legal directory stated that clients described him as having “...’masses of stamina and [is] punching well above his weight.’ Sources praise his responsiveness and client-handling skills, and declare him "very good at mastering the details of complex cases’".
Mark’s instructions in the field of sports law have included cases concerning disputes arising between sportsmen and their clubs or agents, as well as sports-related personal injury actions. He is believed to be the first barrister instructed by a footballer to negotiate his transfer to a Premiership club and he has represented and advised a number of Premier and Football league players and agents in respect of their transfer negotiations. Mark is regularly instructed by the Professional Footballers Association to represent its members before FA, Premier League and Football League Tribunals, particularly in respect of disciplinary proceedings. Mark was instructed to represent Sol Campbell in Football League arbitration proceedings against Notts County FC. He also appeared in FA Arbitration proceedings for the football agent Sky Andrew in his breach of contract claim against England international Jermain Defoe. He acted for Tim Don, the World Triathlon Champion, in doping offence disciplinary proceedings brought by the British Triathlon Association. Mark also appeared in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Gibraltar Badminton Federation v The International Badminton Federation. Formerly a consultant to Team Sports Management Ltd (a sports & music management company), Mark now represents a number of professional footballers in his own right, at clubs such as Bolton Wanderers FC and Crystal Palace FC. He is also a Development Programme Chairman of the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel’s National Anti-Doping Panel.
In the employment sphere, Mark has developed a practice covering unfair and wrongful dismissal claims, which often overlap with the sex, race and disability discrimination actions that form the cornerstone of his discrimination law practice. He has particular experience of discrimination claims against academic institutions that have been commenced by both teaching staff and pupils/students. His notable cases in these fields include his appearance as sole Counsel in the 50-day employment tribunal hearing of Anyanwu v South Bank University and his subsequent appearance as sole Counsel in the four-day EAT hearing in Anyanwu. Mark was also instructed in Ben-Hassine v Birmingham University, the first religious discrimination claim brought by a student against a University. Similarly, he is well-versed in dismissal and discrimination claims brought by employees against investment banks and other large financial institutions. He appeared as junior Counsel for the Applicant in Kamlesh Bahl v The Law Society. Mark also acted for the Applicant in the case of Ali Dizaei v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis.
With regard to media and entertainment law, Mark has advised a number of recording artists on the terms of both their recording and management contracts and has also acted for recording artists in their actions for copyright infringement and passing off. He has acted in a number of cases involving defamation, malicious falsehood, the law of confidence and privacy and the law of contempt. Mark formerly worked as a Libel Reader for The Independent, Mirror Group Newspapers and Associated Newspapers.