Atty. Mark Pifko

Atty. Mark Pifko

Mark Pifko, a Shareholder at Baron & Budd, specializes in the prosecution of high-profile and complex cases against multi-national corporations. Mr.

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Profile Summary

About Mark Pifko at a glance

Mark Pifko is a product liability attorney based in Encino, California, practicing at Baron & Budd PC. Admitted to practice in California, The State Bar of California. Educated at University of California Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2003) and University of California - Santa Barbara (B.S., 2000). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Awards: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — The Best Lawyers in America – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (Best Lawyers, 2025-2026) (2026). Serves clients in Encino, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Verified attorney profile · Updated June 2026

About

  • Mark Pifko, a Shareholder at Baron & Budd, specializes in the prosecution of high-profile and complex cases against multi-national corporations
  • Mr. Pifko’s cases have addressed corporate fraud and wrongdoing across a broad array of business areas, including in the financial services, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries
  • Since joining the Los Angeles office of Baron & Budd in 2011, Mr. Pifko’s efforts have led to the return of billions of dollars to victims and have affected changes in corporate behavior
  • Prior to joining Baron & Budd, Mr. Pifko spent nearly a decade representing some of the world’s largest companies in high-stakes litigation
  • In connection with that corporate defense work, Mr. Pifko worked with advertising agencies that helped sell his clients’ products and services, and Mr. Pifko recalls that the tag line for one such agency was, “while life is busy happening, we get people to do stuff!” Corporations spend billions of dollars a year to get people to buy their offerings
  • But when things go wrong, where can injured parties go to get corporations to “do stuff,” like refund money and stop unlawful practices from continuing?
  • In 2010, Mr. Pifko left his position at a top-ranked D.C.-based international law firm so that he could devote his entire practice to his passion — representing the interests of plaintiffs
  • Mr. Pifko is a resource to get recalcitrant companies to make things right
  • Mr. Pifko believes class action and mass-tort lawsuits provide an important way for people to protect themselves from powerful corporations
  • Instead of one person taking on a billion-dollar company, complex litigation allows groups of people to fight back with a collective voice
  • Mr. Pifko was recognized as a 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer, named in the Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers by National Trial Lawyers in 2017, identified as a “Rising Star” by Law360 in 2016, and has been included in the Super Lawyers publications dating back to 2013
  • In addition to his litigation work, Mark Pifko has been called upon to be a speaker on class action topics at legal industry conferences, and articles written by Mr. Pifko on class action law and consumer advocacy have been published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, California Lawyer Magazine, and Trial, the American Association for Justice’s monthly magazine
  • Since 2017, Mr. Pifko has devoted a substantial amount of time working on litigation related to the opioid crisis
  • Mr. Pifko is part of a team of lawyers who represent approximately 700 cities and counties and nine states in cases brought against manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers of opioid products
  • Mr. Pifko’s work on the opioid litigation has been featured in the non-fiction book, American Cartel and a September 13, 2019 article published in The Washington Post, titled Inside the Drug Industry’s Plan to Defeat the DEA, which discussed evidence uncovered by Mr. Pifko in connection with his deposition of the pharmaceutical distribution industry trade association known as the Healthcare Distribution Alliance
  • Additionally, Mr. Pifko was part of a team which, in March 2019, successfully obtained an order disqualifying an international law firm and a former U.S
  • Attorney from the bellwether cases brought by Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and the City of Cleveland
  • In 2022, Mr. Pifko was co-lead trial counsel for the New Mexico Attorney General in an eight-week trial concerning the opioid crisis where the State recovered $774 million from Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Kroger, and Albertsons

Practice Areas Explained

Mark Pifko's Areas of Practice

Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Mark Pifko handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.

Product Liability

Mark Pifko is one of 60,257 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in California →

Jurisdictional Context

Why local counsel matters in California

Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Encino are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California 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 California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.

Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Encino or all attorneys in California.

Frequently Asked

Common questions about Mark Pifko

Where is Mark Pifko's law office located?
Mark Pifko's law practice is located in Encino, California. The firm is Baron & Budd PC. You can contact the office directly through this profile page.
What practice areas does Mark Pifko handle?
Mark Pifko focuses on product liability. Each practice area listed reflects experience handling cases of that type in California.
Where did Mark Pifko go to law school?
Mark Pifko earned their education at (J.D., 2003); (B.S., 2000).
How can I contact Mark Pifko for a consultation?
You can contact Mark Pifko directly through this profile page. Click "Ask the Attorney" to submit a question, or "Schedule a Consultation" to book a meeting. Most claimed-profile attorneys respond within one business day.
What awards or recognition has Mark Pifko received?
Mark Pifko's notable recognition includes: Best Lawyers in America — Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs; Best Lawyers in America — Awards:; Best Lawyers in America — The Best Lawyers in America – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (Best Lawyers, 2025-2026); Best Lawyers in America — Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2025); Best Lawyers in America — Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers (2024-2025).

Education

J.D.
University of California Hastings College of the Law
- 2003
B.S.
University of California - Santa Barbara
- 2000

Awards

Best Lawyers in America — Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Awards:
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — The Best Lawyers in America – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (Best Lawyers, 2025-2026)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2025)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers (2024-2025)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (2023-2025)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers (2023-present)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers (2017)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Southern California (Thompson Reuters 2013-2017)
- 2026
Best Lawyers in America — Law360, Rising Stars (2016)
- 2026

Bar Admissions

California, The State Bar of California

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