by Daniel S. Robinson
There are some lawyers whose careers are defined by singular moments, a breakthrough case, a headline verdict, or a defining role. And then there are lawyers like Mark P. Robinson Jr., whose career spans decades, reshaping entire practice areas and leaving a permanent mark on the law and the lawyers who follow.
For more than half a century, Mark Robinson Jr. has been at the forefront of civil justice in California and across the country. For me, he has always been my dad: the person who woke me up for Saturday morning games, encouraged me to dream big, and taught me the importance of being a “worker bee” and a “good human being.” Although I sensed he took his work seriously, he never bragged about his success. Around our community, all my friends simply knew him as Coach Robinson, the dad who was always supportive and interested in their lives. It wasn’t until college that I began to understand the scope of his professional legacy. One year, I went to visit him in New Orleans during his Vioxx bellwether trial and I saw firsthand how hard he worked for his clients, and how solemnly he took the immense responsibility of representing them. Mark was never motivated by accolades or headlines, but on telling his clients’ truth and helping right their wrongs. Since that $51 million verdict—the first and only federal court win for plaintiffs in the litigation, which helped drive a $5 billion nationwide settlement—I’ve come to appreciate his unwavering dedication to individuals harmed by corporate misconduct. In his five decades of practice, he has secured numerous verdicts in courtrooms across the country that have helped shape modern products liability and mass tort litigation. But for those who know him best—his friends, colleagues, and family—his legacy runs deeper than verdicts alone. It lies in his commitment to his clients and his respect for the law.
Mark Robinson began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, where he honed his courtroom skills by trying over 100 trials in less than two years. From there, he moved into a defense practice, working at his father’s law firm. Although he enjoyed the challenge of defense work, something was missing.
As Mark has often said, everything changed the first time he was given permission to represent one of the firm’s clients as a plaintiff. It was a turning point that eventually led him to leave his father’s law firm in Los Angeles and move to Orange County where he joined the respected plaintiffs’ firm, Hews & Munoz.
In 1978, at the age of 33, Mark served as co-trial counsel with Art Hews in Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company, the landmark Ford Pinto fire case. The $128 million jury verdict, unprecedented at the time, was one of the first product liability cases to expose how corporate decision-making could place profits over human life. The case has since been taught in torts and product liability classes throughout the country, and has been regarded as one of the ten most significant civil verdicts in American history.
For many young lawyers at the time, the verdict was a revelation.
“Mark Robinson has been a legend in the Orange County legal community for many years,” wrote Christopher P. Wesierski of Wesierski and Zurek LLP. “Since his amazing win in the Pinto case, he has set the standards for product liability and toxic tort plaintiff work, standards that have been applied nationwide in multiple multidistrict cases.”
“I was only in my fourth year of practice when Mark Robinson shook the legal world with Grimshaw v. Ford in 1978,” said Michael J. Bidart of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria, LLP. “That success would have changed most lawyers by ‘going to their head,’ but it didn’t change Mark. His character, humility and dedication to his clients and their causes, has always been an inspiration to me.”
Justice Eileen C. Moore (Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three) recalls the immediate and lasting impact of that case: “Mark Robinson was already a legend when I graduated from law school in the spring of 1978. His Ford Pinto verdict had come down a few months earlier. It was one of the earliest cases that alerted the public to significant safety concerns in consumer products.” When she later found herself facing the same defense firm involved in Grimshaw, she recalled how generous Mark was with his time and guidance: “Through the years, Mark Robinson has been an example of excellence for lawyers in his trial skills, scholarship, and civility. More importantly, however, he has been a mentor to many of us.”
Over the decades that followed, Mark built Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. into one of the nation’s premier plaintiffs’ firms, known for its willingness to take on the most difficult cases against the most powerful defendants. From tobacco litigation to pharmaceutical and medical device cases, from automotive defects to environmental disasters, Mark has consistently chosen cases that mattered, where systemic wrongdoing demanded large-scale accountability.
His results speak for themselves: numerous multi-million and billion-dollar verdicts and settlements, leadership roles in some of the largest Multidistrict Litigation lawsuits (MDLs) and Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCPs), and a national reputation for excellence. But what truly sets Mark apart is not simply what he achieved, but how he achieved it—through exhaustive preparation, unwavering resolve, and an unshakable commitment to his clients.
JAMS mediator Lexi Myer-Wolfe, who worked with Mark during the Vioxx and tobacco litigation, described his leadership: “In The West Wing, the President tells Sam Seaborn that with respect to strategy, it’s important to see the whole board. Mark made many lasting impressions on me as a lawyer, but most importantly, his ability to see the whole board when it came to trial. During our Vioxx trial, he would call each attorney early every morning and give us individual tasks for the day, like pieces of an overall puzzle, which he masterfully put together for a win.”
During trial, Mark possessed a unique ability to see the entire field, anticipate moves before they happened, and simply outwork the other side. He was at all times demanding, meticulous, and unrelenting, characteristics that have become ingrained in the many young lawyers who worked for Mark.
First in a long line of apprentices was Mark’s younger brother and law partner, Jeoffrey L. Robinson. “I had the opportunity from the time I was a small child to observe and interact with my oldest brother,” Jeoffrey wrote. “He was a combination of mentor, disciplinarian, and most importantly, hero. Whatever activity Mark engaged in, he consistently achieved the highest goals. Then came the law. And as all are aware, Mark could not have achieved more as an individual lawyer. His accomplishments speak for themselves. His passion and commitment are unmatched. His quest for justice has always been insatiable.”
Kevin F. Calcagnie, Mark’s longtime law partner, has seen that commitment up close for decades: “Since the 1970s, Mark has been known for landmark products liability verdicts, and over the years he’s been inducted into several trial lawyer halls of fame. But Mark isn’t just a great trial lawyer. He’s been dedicated to serving the legal profession and civil justice, bringing his unbounded energy to roles such as President of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), National President of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (an organization co-founded by his father), and as a member of the Judicial Council. He also served the legal community locally as President of Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA) and the OCBA Charitable Fund, and in helping establish UCI Law School. For over half a century, Mark has been relentless in his pursuit of justice, not only for his own clients, but for the public. His commitment to protecting the right to a jury trial and access to the courts has been and will be a benefit to the justice system well into the future.”
Eric V. Traut, 2026 OCBA President-Elect and founder of Traut Injury Law, added, “Beyond his accomplished trial practice, Mark exemplifies a deep commitment to philanthropy. At both the local and national levels, he generously contributes his time and resources to causes that support those in need. Mark has been a steadfast champion of the Seventh Amendment and the fundamental right to a jury trial. For many years, he led ABOTA’s ‘Save Our Juries’ committee, creating and implementing programs aimed at preserving and strengthening the jury trial system.”
When asked about his greatest achievements, Mark rarely points to awards or verdicts. Instead, he speaks about giving a voice to victims and helping them level the playing field against multinational corporations.
Civility was one of Mark’s defining traits. Even when litigating against the most formidable defendants, he always treated opposing counsel with professionalism and respect. He developed many lifelong friendships with opposing counsel.
Ronald Rus of Brown Rudnick described Mark’s contribution to the practice of law: “Mark Robinson, a true lion of the Orange County Bar and a recognized master of the courtroom on a national scale, has shaped mass tort litigation in the United States for the last half-century. I remember, as a very young lawyer, being wide-eyed at Mark’s victory in the Pinto case. That case, and the many incredible results that followed, are emblematic of Mark’s astonishing career and contribution to the legal community.”
Over his career, Mark P. Robinson Jr. has embodied the principles of excellence, preparation, civility, and integrity. The standards he set—putting clients first, treating adversaries with respect, and never backing down from a righteous fight—will continue to influence the profession for generations to come. On a personal level, I am deeply appreciative of everything Mark has done for me, his family, and everyone at the firm. We strive every day to live up to his extraordinary legacy and his exemplary standards in the pursuit of justice.
It is my great honor to recognize Mark P. Robinson Jr. as the recipient of the 2025 Orange County Bar Association’s Franklin G. West Lifetime Achievement Award.
Daniel S. Robinson, is a partner at Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. and a Past President of the Orange County Bar Association.