Atty. Mark D. Shepard
Area of Emphasis Mark Shepard is a shareholder in the Litigation Group of Babst Calland and currently serves as general counsel to the Firm. Prior to joining the firm, he served as chair of the litigation group for one of Pittsburgh’s largest law firms.
Energy And Natural Resources & More Attorney · Serving Pittsburgh, PA · 44+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Mark D. Shepard at a Glance
Mark D. Shepard is a Shareholder based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, practicing at Babst Calland. They have 44+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1982. Their practice focuses on litigation, environmental, and adr. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania (1982) and West Virginia United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania United States Di (1991). Educated at Duke University (J.D., 1982) and University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1979). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Active member of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers. Serves clients in Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Mark D. Shepard
- Area of Emphasis Mark Shepard is a shareholder in the Litigation Group of Babst Calland and currently serves as general counsel to the Firm
- Prior to joining the firm, he served as chair of the litigation group for one of Pittsburgh’s largest law firms
- Background as a Litigator Mr. Shepard focuses his practice in the areas of commercial, toxic tort, products liability and environmental litigation
- He has represented clients as lead trial counsel in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters involving contract, trade secret, trade name disputes, securities fraud, common law fraud, antitrust and RICO claims
- Mr. Shepard also has significant experience in representing defendants in consumer and other class actions
- A sizeable portion of his environmental litigation practice has been devoted to defending clients in federal and state superfund litigation and permit appeals
- Mr. Shepard has used his broad experience in environmental cost recovery litigation to develop a specific emphasis on natural resource damage (NRD) claims by federal and state trustees
- Mr. Shepard has maintained an active practice in toxic tort litigation involving alleged exposure to toxic substances in the air, water and/or soil
- During his career, he also has frequently been retained to handle communications, insurance coverage and mining litigation
- He also has substantial experience in products liability defense, particularly in the mining equipment industry
- As a result of the nature of his litigation practice, Mr. Shepard has participated in numerous forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings including commercial arbitration, mediation, mini-trials and early neutral evaluation
- He has been retained regularly as a mediator for complex commercial, products liability, insurance coverage, securities and natural resources cases
- Mr. Shepard currently serves as a mediator, arbitrator and early neutral evaluator in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Background as a Neutral With over 20 years of experience, Mr. Shepard is a trained mediator who has mediated thousands of cases across a wide range of areas, including commercial contracts, securities or broker dealer claims, products liability, professional liability, insurance coverage, personal injury, natural resources, environmental statutes, oil and gas disputes, closely-held business disputes, copyright, trademark, construction and real estate disputes
- He has been appointed as a Special Discovery Master in the Western District of Pennsylvania and Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny on a number of occasions
- Mr. Shepard has also served as an AAA appointed or common law Arbitrator in approximately 20 commercial arbitrations
- He is a certified mediator and early neutral evaluator in the Western District of Pennsylvania and a member of the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
- Currently, mediation, arbitrations and special discovery master appointments constitute approximately 70% of his practice
- Educational Background Mr. Shepard graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1979 where he earned a B.A. and was selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa
- He earned his J.D. at Duke University in 1982 where he was a member of the Duke Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif
- Memberships and Affiliations Mr. Shepard is admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth and Sixth Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia
- Mr. Shepard is an active member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar associations
- He serves as a commercial litigation panel member for the American Arbitration Association® (AAA®) as well as a panel member for the National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM)
- Mr. Shepard was appointed to the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Commission in 2007 for a three-year term
- He served as chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section in 2000-2001 and as a member of the Bar Association’s Board of Governors from 2005-2011
- In 2001, he was elected to membership in the Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Mr. Shepard has served as chairman of the Academy’s Program Committee
- For a number of years, he coordinated the county-wide High School Mock Trial competition
- Mr. Shepard was ranked in Chambers and Partners’ Chambers USA Guide in the Pennsylvania – Litigation: Mediators section since 2023 and Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds – Litigation: General Commercial section in 2020-2022
- He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation since 2006
- Litigation – Environmental since 2011
- Bet-the-Company Litigation since 2015
- and Mediation since 2025
- Mr. Shepard was named the Best Lawyers® 2019 Litigation – Environmental “Lawyer of the Year” and 2022 Bet-the-Company Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa
- He is rated by Martindale-Hubbell as AV Preeminent, Peer Rated for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence
- Mr. Shepard was also selected to the 2005-2023 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and 2011-2014 Top 50: Pittsburgh Super Lawyers lists
Practice Areas Explained
Mark D. Shepard's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Mark D. Shepard handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Pittsburgh.
Civil Litigation in Pittsburgh
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Mark D. Shepard is one of 450,750 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Environmental Law in Pittsburgh
Environmental attorneys for regulatory compliance, contamination, land use, and natural resource law.
Mark D. Shepard is one of 55,977 environmental attorneys indexed nationally. Browse environmental attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Mediation & Arbitration in Pittsburgh
Mediators and arbitrators for civil, commercial, family, and employment dispute resolution.
Mark D. Shepard is one of 73,315 adr attorneys indexed nationally. Browse adr attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Pittsburgh
Practicing law in Pennsylvania. Legal matters in Pennsylvania are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Pittsburgh are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Pennsylvania state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Pennsylvania brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Pennsylvania courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Pittsburgh Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Pittsburgh-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Pennsylvania attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Pittsburgh or all attorneys in Pennsylvania.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Pittsburgh Choose Mark D. Shepard
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Mark D. Shepard's practice in the field of litigation, environmental, and adr.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Mark D. Shepard brings 44+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Multi-State Bar Admission
Licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania United States Di, Mark D. Shepard can represent clients in cases that span state lines or require counsel in multiple jurisdictions.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering litigation, environmental, and adr, Mark D. Shepard can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh-based practice means Mark D. Shepard attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
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Mark D. Shepard's Practice Areas & Specializations
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