Awards & Accolades

People Mark Sherman

For over 23 years, Mark D. Sherman has been a member in good standing of the State Bars of Connecticut, New York and Florida. Together, he and his partner Ryan O’Neill have built the law firm into one of the premier criminal defense and civil litigation firms in Connecticut.

Mark’s practice focuses on criminal and civil litigation, serving clients in the Connecticut and New York metropolitan areas. Mark has successfully handled scores of serious and sensitive criminal and employment matters, some of which have received high profile media attention.

  • In 2010, Mark made history by procuring the largest whistle-blowing bounty award in SEC history on behalf of his client for her participation in an SEC insider trading investigation.
  • In 2008, Mark received national attention for his representation of Leonard Trujillo, Jr., who faced capital murder charges for his role in the death of Greenwich businessman Andrew Kissel. The capital murder charges were ultimately dropped, and Mr. Trujillo pled to reduced charges.

Mark prides himself on the time and attention he gives to all of his clients—whether high or low profile—and recognizes that while the legal profession is primarily technical and academic, it is also a service business. To that end, he works to ensure that all of his clients receive the highest degree of service, time and attention, seven days a week.

Mark regularly lectures to public and private schools in Fairfield County on cybersafety, anti-bullying initiatives, and alcohol and substance abuse prevention. For information on having Mark present to your group or school, please call his executive assistant Christine Bartlett.

Mark has also appeared as a guest commentator on Court TV, Fox News and ESPN. He also routinely lectures to schools and parents’ groups on cyber-safety and the dangers and perils for kids growing up in today’s techno-centric society.

Mark graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and subsequently earned his law degree at the Fordham University School of Law in 1998, where he served as President of the Student Bar Association. After law school, Mark joined the litigation department of the New York law firm of Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, practicing in their litigation group and later left to start his own practice.

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

  • State of Connecticut Member Since: 1998
  • State of New York Member Since: 1999
  • State of Florida Member Since: 1999
  • United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals
  • United States District Court, District of Connecticut
  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • The Fairfield County Bar Association
  • The Connecticut Bar Association
  • The Florida Bar Association
  • The New York State Bar Association
  • The Civil Rights Committee of the Anti-Defamation League
  • The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
  • Anti-Defamation League—Civil Rights Committee Member

Awards

  • Connecticut Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense – Super Lawyers Magazine, 2010 – 2016*
  • Top Attorneys in Connecticut – Connecticut Magazine, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • Fairfield County Business Journal – Top 40 Business Professionals Under 40, 2010
  • A “Super Lawyer” in Criminal Defense by New England Super Lawyers and Connecticut Super Lawyers for 2011 and 2012.*
  • Listed as one of the “Top Attorneys in Connecticut” – Connecticut Magazine 2011
  • Fairfield County Business Association’s Top 40 under 40 Business Professionals

*Super Lawyers is a commercial publication, for information on how recipients are selected click here.

Cases

  • DARIEN HIGH SCHOOL CHEATING SCANDAL. In 2020, Mark and Partner Christine Landis represented a Darien High School teenager in a class-wide Darien High School midterm exam cheating scandal. The Firm took the case to the appropriate administrative agency to appeal.
  • DCF RECORDS ARREST. In 2019, Mark represented victims in a Darien police investigation where DCF records were allegedly illegal circulated for the purpose of smearing the reputations of Mark’s clients, who were high profile educators in town. With Mark’s assistant, the DCF-related arrest was the first of its kind in the State of Connecticut.
  • 7 RESTRAINING ORDER VIOLATION ARRESTS DISMISSED. In 2019, Mark and the Firm’s Amanda Telesco defended a Greenwich ex-husband father who was wrongfully accused of domestic violence—specifically 7 counts of felony violation of criminal protective orders over a one-year period. After a two-year battle, Mark got all charges dismissed and expunged.
  • STAMFORD ANIMAL CONTROL ARREST. In April 2018, after a 3 year battle with Stamford Police, the City of Stamford, and the Mayor’s Office, Mark Sherman and the Firm’s Michael Bivona successfully defended Stamford Animal Control Manager Laurie Hollywood against false reckless endangerment charges related to her dog adoption policies. After refusing all plea bargain offers, demanding a trial and challenging the State’s evidence, the Superior Court dismissed all charges against Hollywood. For more on her courageous battle against the City and State, click here.
  • LUNCH LADY ARREST. In 2018, Mark made national news for representing one of the New Canaan Public School “Lunch Ladies” who Mark and Partner Christine Landis argued was wrongfully accused of stealing over $500,000 from the Town of New Canaan. Mark’s client is still awaiting trial on the charges. Click here for The New York Times coverage of the case.
  • LIFEGUARD ARREST. In 2017, Mark was hired to defend a Chelsea Piers lifeguard who was falsely accused of reckless endangerment for missing a save, the first time in U.S. history a lifeguard was arrested for alleged negligence. The child survived and all charges were dismissed.

 

  • MURDER CHARGES DIMISSED. In 2014, Mark represented 1 of 3 men arrested for a murder in Stamford. After years of investigating and fighting the case, and refusing all manslaughter offers, the murder charges were dismissed against Mark’s client and he was released from prison. For more on the story, click here.
  • STAMFORD HIGH SEX SCANDAL. In 2014, Mark made national news for representing a Connecticut high school principal arrested—and falsely accused—for failing to report a teacher-student affair to Connecticut Department of Children & Families. All charges were dismissed and Firm Partner Ryan O’Neill then sued the City in a wrongful termination lawsuit.
  • INTERNET SCRUBBING. In 2013, Mark and his partner Ryan O’Neill were featured in former New York Times Executive Editor’s Op-ed Piece: “Erasing History in the Internet Era” for being trailblazers in the emerging era of internet scrubbing law.
  • SEC WHISTLE-BLOWING BOUNTY. In 2010, Mark and partner Ryan O’Neill made history by winning the then-largest SEC whistle-blowing bounty award in United States history on behalf of his client for her participation in an SEC insider trading investigation. Follow this link for the “Billion Dollar Divorce” story.
  • SUGAR DADDY SEXTORTION. In 2009, Mark represented alleged participants in a Greenwich Connecticut “Sugar Daddy Sex Scandal” ring, where Connecticut extortion / sextortion charges were filed against willing members of the SeekingArrangements.com online community. Mark obtained dismissals and no-jail dispositions for many of the arrested, alleged sextortionists.
  • KISSEL MURDER CASE. In 2008, Mark received national attention for his representation of Leonard Trujillo, Jr., who faced the death penalty for his role in the death of Greenwich businessman Andrew Kissel. The capital murder charges were ultimately dropped, and Mr. Trujillo pled to reduced charges.
  • LIZA MINELLI. In 2003, Mark represented Hollywood legend Liza Minnelli and her husband in a litigation with VH1 over their reality show, “Liza and David.”
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Mark Sherman
Connecticut Domestic Violence Information Center
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