Mark A. Kornfeld

How Mark Helps Clients

Mark Kornfeld is a trusted adviser to his clients. He has extensive expertise in asset recovery, bankruptcy litigation, complex commercial litigations, equity receiverships, mediation, Ponzi schemes, and regulatory and securities litigation under state and federal securities laws (and FINRA). With more than 30 years of experience, Mark is a skilled dispute resolution expert, who advises, manages and counsels clients across a variety of industries, including financial services, investment bankers, hedge fund managers, media companies, emerging companies, construction and real estate developers, Fortune 500 and private equity companies, executives and board officers. He also assists clients in tort defense. 

Mark currently serves as a court-appointed federal equity receiver in connection with the In Re Kinetics action, which is a result of Mark’s decade-long service as one of the core leaders and strategists involved in the court-appointed representation of Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee Irving Picard and working for his lead counsel David Sheehan in global efforts to recover billions in assets for the Fund of Customer Property. Mark was one of the few attorneys in the world to interview Bernie Madoff in prison as part of the Trustee’s investigation. Mark also served the Recovery Initiative as the first Chair of the Expert and Settlement Committees, as well as leading multiple teams involved in billions in settlements and litigations against managers, investment advisors, domestic and international feeder funds and other financial institutions.

Due to his experience, Mark frequently speaks on high-profile litigation and regulatory enforcement matters arising from Ponzi schemes, insider trading and other economic frauds.

I pride myself on delivering first class legal and business advice and counsel to you at platinum value — I distinguish myself by being in the trenches with you, such that what may be keeping you up at night will keep me up at night on your behalf too.

What Clients Can Expect

Mark stands shoulder to shoulder with his clients in their business and helps them make decision that will help further their business goals. He takes a pragmatic, business-centric approach to existing and potential problems. Mark’s clients know that he will always look at the full picture - not only during active litigation, but will also routinely provide risk avoidance strategies to help clients avoid business decisions that could lead to litigation.

He draws from decades of high-stakes experience to provide advice and counsel customized to solving a client’s problems. Mark prides himself on being a value-add for his clients by being able to quickly analyze the competing variables on complicated disputes, how they will impact the client, and by providing multi-dimensional, strategic and practical advice to the client no matter the industry or scope of the problems at issue. Mark is always mindful of his clients’ time and money and is fully committed to providing first-class, substantive expertise in an economic way.

Outside the Office

When Mark isn’t working he is spending time with his beautiful wife of 27 years Dawn and their awesome dog Chloe. Mark’s greatest pride is two, adult sons Brett, 24, with a master’s degree from Notre Dame in Data Analytics and his youngest son Dylan, 23 who is a second year law student at Vanderbilt University.

Mark is an avid, border-line obsessive Philadelphia Eagles football fan, who often notes that he can one day “die in peace” because of having lived to witness the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory over the Patriots which he attended live in Minneapolis with his oldest son.  Mark also has a deep love and passion for television, movies, content, all things WWE, music, Alabama football (due to Dawn’s alumni status), and poker, where he has played The World Series of Poker Main Event on three separate occasions and sets reaching a final table at a bracelet event as still on his life list.

Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Edition in the Commercial Litigation category

• The Legal 500 United States (2015, 2016)
• Recommended in Dispute Resolution: Securities litigation – defense
• New York Metro "Super Lawyer" (2011 to 2017)

Proof Points

• Appointed Federal Equity Receiver by the Middle District of Florida in connection with an SEC Enforcement Action arising out of an alleged $40 million plus investment management fraudulent scheme.
• Senior counsel who helped secure a pre complaint $500m settlement against feeder fund and financial institution in connection with the Madoff Ponzi scheme.
• Lead counsel to former independent director being sued for corporate malfeasance by the Small Business Administration arising out of the bankruptcy of two small businesses.
• Lead counsel to former executives of public companies in securities fraud cases and post merger securities class actions upwards of $500m