Mark Sitting In His Office

Mark Briol

Member

Mark Briol has an impressive record of professional experience, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1976, earning his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1981, magna cum laude and first in his class, and building his career as a top-tier national trial attorney for over forty years. He has been lead counsel in cases venued in at least 27 different states. Throughout his career, he has tried more than 100 jury trials, court trials, and/or arbitrations to award or verdict. 

Currently, as the founder of Briol & Benson and our most seasoned attorney, Mark leads the representation of our clients in some of the nation’s most interesting, largest, and most high-profile cases. Mark has consistently been recognized by a variety of legal publications as one of the top trial attorneys in the nation.

At age 19, Mark Briol was an aspiring professional fighter and the 1973 Golden Gloves Welterweight Champion for the City of Minneapolis. He lost, by a decision, in the Upper Midwest Finals that year to Gary Holmgren, who went on to win The National Golden Gloves championship in Boston a month later. It has been a long journey from the alleys of 1970’s Minneapolis to the hallowed courtrooms of some of the highest courts in the land. 

Education

  • William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1981, 1st in class
  • University of Minnesota B.A., summa cum laude, 1976
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Phi Beta Phi

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
  • Wisconsin Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Washington, D.C.
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Court, South Dakota

Awards & Accomplishments

  • Named one of the 30 most powerful and influential business litigators in Minnesota by the Minnesota Lawyer Power 30
  • Named the 2016 Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year for the Minneapolis Area by Best Lawyers®
  • One of the Top 10 Lawyers in Minnesota by Minnesota Super Lawyers© for five years 
  • One of the Top 100 Lawyers in Minnesota by Minnesota Super Lawyers© for more than 20 years 
  • National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Nationally Ranked Top 10 Attorney
  • American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year, Personal Injury Law Section
  • One of the Top 40 Commercial Litigators in Minnesota by Law & Politics Magazine for many years.
  • One of “The Best Lawyers in America ®” for many years in the practice areas of Bet the Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Securities
  • One of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Minnesota by The National Trial Lawyers Association ©
  • One of the Top 100 Litigators in Minnesota by The American Society of Legal Advocates ©
  • Recipient— America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators®
  • Rated AV-Preeminent (the highest possible rating) by Martindale-Hubbell ®
  • Rated Judicial AV-Preeminent for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards (the highest possible rating) by Martindale-Hubbell, Judicial Edition ®

*According to the Minnesota State Bar Association, as of February 2022, there were more than 27,000 licensed attorneys in Minnesota.