By Matthew S. Buttacavoli and Scott B. Garner
When we were asked to co-author an article about Mark Minyard, this year’s Franklin G. West Award recipient, we welcomed the opportunity to expose the truth about Mark Minyard. The truth is Mark Minyard loves having fun as a family law attorney. On the surface, it may seem insensitive to suggest Mark has fun working in a legal field where the litigants can be extremely emotional, relationships are ending, children are being impacted, and assets are being divided. It is not at all perplexing, however, when you consider the nature of family law and the nature of Mark Minyard.
Some studies rank going through a contested divorce as second to the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one in order of stressful life experiences. Indeed, family law practitioners and bench officers know all too well the parade of psychological “horribles” children often suffer in high conflict custody cases. The issues in family law matters are highly complex and sophisticated, and no matter the outcome, the lives of more than just the litigants are permanently altered. Knowing this, Mark not only has a genuine passion for practicing family law the “right” way, but also mentoring the next generation of family lawyers to do the same.
When Mark has fun helping others, it is infectious and inspirational. Mark has dedicated his career to practicing, preaching, and demanding of the attorneys at Minyard Morris a resolution-oriented approach to family law designed to help people and their families through highly difficult times in a caring, compassionate, prompt, and efficient manner. Mark places great emphasis on continuing education, mastery of the law, and uncompromising ethics. Mark’s approach to family law is contagious and has resulted in a long-standing firm culture of understanding the unique challenges faced by family law litigants, of resolving their matters with a sense of urgency and kindness, and, if necessary, achieving results through focused, skilled, and cost-effective litigation. Mark truly knows and has exemplified for everyone fortunate to work with him what it means to care about clients in a profoundly meaningful way simply by how he handles their cases.
It is not surprising that Mark’s accomplishments as a family law practitioner are numerous, including being one of only three family law attorneys in California who are Fellows in the American College of Trial Lawyers. An entire article could be written highlighting the laundry list of accolades Mark has deservedly received. What cannot be readily gleaned from the list of acknowledgments, however, is the indelible impact Mark Minyard has had on the Orange County landscape. Mark’s influence extends well beyond the walls of his firm. There are many lawyers currently with Minyard Morris, formerly of Minyard Morris, and never affiliated with Minyard Morris whom Mark has inspired through his leadership. Mark’s vision of how family law should be practiced is exactly how he practices family law and how many others inside and outside Minyard Morris practice family law because of him. Thousands of individuals and families have quietly received justice not because of the particular outcome of their case, but because of how they were treated throughout the process. Groucho Marx once said, “If you are not having fun, you are doing something wrong.” Mark undoubtedly has fun helping his family law clients. And, he gets just as much enjoyment from helping other family lawyers learn and appreciate how to practice family law the right way.
In addition to having fun practicing and mentoring in family law, Mark also has fun giving away money. A lot of money. Of course, Mark will cringe when he reads this because he does not give for recognition, although the accolades stemming from his financial generosity are also numerous and alone speak volumes. What may be overlooked, however, is that Mark fosters an atmosphere that encourages others to give of themselves. Current and former Minyard Morris attorneys volunteer in various organizations and non-profit boards, including Human Options, Constitutional Rights Foundation-OC, Legal Aid Society of Orange County, the Public Law Center, the Orange County Bar Foundation, and various OCBA committees, sections, and affiliate bars. Mark has even had fun inspiring (okay, maybe even guilting) other colleagues to give. He has influenced many others to donate or help fundraise for worthy causes like Laura’s House, Kids First, FACES, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Veterans Legal Institute. Leading by example, Mark has encouraged many others to pursue their interests and passions, has inspired people to find ways to help others, and has provided the needed resources to accomplish charitable goals.
Mark understands that, while hours devoted to charitable and pro bono causes will result in a lower “bottom line” for the firm, those hours will make life-changing impacts on those in our community who need it the most. Minyard Morris attorneys have been recognized for their pro bono services, including receiving awards such as PLC Volunteer of the Year and the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for legal services issued by the State Bar of California Board of Trustees. Minyard Morris was even honored with PLC’s Pro Bono Firm of the Year award, a significant accomplishment for a firm of fewer than twenty attorneys.
Unless you regularly interact with Mark Minyard, you may not be able to fully appreciate his commitment to charitable and pro bono causes. Giving to others runs so deep in the core of who Mark Minyard is as a lawyer and a person that he has created through his example a legacy of giving that will endure long after he has stopped practicing law.
Mark Minyard is not only defined by what he has done in family law or even by the charities he has financially supported; Mark also has been a huge contributor of his time. He has consistently served on boards and committees for numerous organizations. Notably, Mark has donated countless hours to the Orange County legal community in general and the Orange County Bar Association in particular. Mark has served on the OCBA’s board of directors as well as on numerous committees, some multiple times. Mark also has served in leadership in the OCBA’s Family Law Section. Basically, whatever Mark has been asked to do, he has done. And yes, he always seems to have fun doing it. At a time in his career when many successful lawyers cannot find the time to give back to their profession, Mark tirelessly continues to give, setting an example for all lawyers, young and old.
Without question, Mark Minyard was the right choice to be honored with this year’s Franklin G. West Award. The West Award, named for Judge Franklin G. West, is the highest honor given out by the OCBA, presented to attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law. It is not an award for someone who won one big trial or had a few great months, but rather for someone who has done it for decades. For baseball fans, it is like being elected to the Hall of Fame. For performance aficionados, it is like receiving the Golden Globe’s Cecile B. DeMille Award. Past winners of the West Award have included some of the most respected legal minds in our county, if not in the country.
Born in McAllister, Oklahoma, a city not exactly synonymous with fun, Mark has practiced family law exclusively in Orange County his entire career, starting as a sole practitioner shortly after passing the bar. Having since spent decades as the premier family lawyer in Orange County, Mark Minyard can easily take a seat next to any of the past West Award honorees. What made it so easy to choose Mark for this award was not only his many impressive accomplishments, but also the humility with which he goes about his business. Nowhere was this more evident than when Mark, who is never one to be speechless, was rendered without words when told of his selection. Indeed, Mark practically had to be begged to accept the Award, but the OCBA would not take “no” for an answer. Mark was the obvious choice, and we have no doubt Judge Franklin G. West would approve of Mark’s selection.
If asked to describe his career as a family lawyer, Mark would likely say he has been lucky; that he has been in the right place at the right time over and over again. The truth is, the lucky ones are the family law clients Mark has directly represented, the family law attorneys Mark has mentored and inspired, the many families who have unknowingly benefited from his passionate commitment to client service, and the countless additional lives Mark has changed by his unrelenting generosity. Our Orange County legal community and our community in general are lucky to have Mark among us. When we were asked to write this article, we did not hesitate. We knew it would be fun to expose Mark Minyard for who he really is.
Matthew S. Buttacavoli practices family law. He is a partner at Minyard Morris and is lucky to have worked with Mark Minyard for almost fifteen years. He can be reached at mbuttacavoli@minyardmorris.com. Scott B. Garner is a partner at Umberg Zipser LLP, practicing complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on lawyer liability, and was Chair of the 2022 OCBA Awards Committee. In 2020, Scott was the OCBA President and therefore saw firsthand Mark’s dedication to the OCBA and the Orange County legal community. He can be reached at sgarner@umbergzipser.com.