Biography | Mark J. Firmin

Portland, OR

p. 917.717.2757

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Mark Firmin represents individuals, businesses, and entities in all aspects of civil litigation. He is member of a multidisciplinary team with a strong focus on commercial litigation and the defense of complex casualty and discrimination claims. Additionally, Mark is well-versed in insurance defense and adeptly handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims, as well as matters related to construction defect, negligent security, and defamation. Mark approaches each case with thoughtful precision and is known for his zealous advocacy, meticulous attention to detail, and strategic, persuasive writing skills.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Mark worked at a West Coast litigation defense practice and a premier subrogation firm in Portland, Oregon. During law school, Mark gained hands-on legal experience through his work with the Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic Center, where he served as a law clerk in the Human Trafficking Clinic and a certified legal intern in the First Amendment Clinic. He also acted as a teaching assistant in multiple Legal Writing courses. In addition, Mark served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Maarten Vermaat, Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Michigan, where he gained valuable insight into federal law and procedure in both criminal and civil proceedings.

Before entering the legal profession, Mark was a Peace Corps volunteer and a civics instructor – experiences he regularly draws upon to distill complex legal issues for clients and the courts.

Education

Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D., 2022)
Tulane University (B.A. International Relations and Psychology, 2014)

Bar Admissions

Oregon

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, District of Oregon

Professional Affiliations

Oregon Association of Defense Counsel

Mark Firmin represents individuals, businesses, and entities in all aspects of civil litigation. He is member of a multidisciplinary team with a strong focus on commercial litigation and the defense of complex casualty and discrimination claims. Additionally, Mark is well-versed in insurance defense and adeptly handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims, as well as matters related to construction defect, negligent security, and defamation. Mark approaches each case with thoughtful precision and is known for his zealous advocacy, meticulous attention to detail, and strategic, persuasive writing skills.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Mark worked at a West Coast litigation defense practice and a premier subrogation firm in Portland, Oregon. During law school, Mark gained hands-on legal experience through his work with the Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic Center, where he served as a law clerk in the Human Trafficking Clinic and a certified legal intern in the First Amendment Clinic. He also acted as a teaching assistant in multiple Legal Writing courses. In addition, Mark served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Maarten Vermaat, Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Michigan, where he gained valuable insight into federal law and procedure in both criminal and civil proceedings.

Before entering the legal profession, Mark was a Peace Corps volunteer and a civics instructor – experiences he regularly draws upon to distill complex legal issues for clients and the courts.

Press Releases

Wilson Elser Adds Six-Attorney Team to Growing Portland, Oregon, Office

September 4, 2025

Portland Team Secures Defense Verdict for Health Care Insurer at Arbitration

The Portland, Oregon, team of Peder Rigsby (Partner-Portland, OR), Matthew Casey (Of Counsel-Portland, OR), Mark Firmin (Associate-Portland, OR), and Sean McKean (Associate-Portland, OR) secured a defense verdict on behalf of Wilson Elser’s client, a health care insurer, before the Commercial Arbitration Tribunal of the American Arbitration Association. The matter involved a contract dispute between an Alaska hospital system and our client arising from alleged underpayments of health care claims. The disagreement concerned the reimbursement methodology the client used to pay the disputed claims, which involved technical health care provider reimbursement issues and contract interpretation principles under Alaska law. The hospital alleged the client underpaid the disputed claims by $550,000.

After a four-day hearing, the arbitrator issued a defense verdict in favor of our client, agreeing that the insurer did not breach the provider agreement with the hospital. Peder and the Wilson Elser team presented compelling evidence of nearly 20 years of consistent performance between the parties, supporting our client’s interpretation of the contract and demonstrating that the hospital never raised concerns during annual contract negotiations. Through expert testimony, the team also established that the client’s practices were consistent with industry standards. This significant win for the client avoided an adverse result that would have exposed the client to future claims well into the seven-figure range; the award forecloses that risk.

Peder A. Rigsby, Matthew C. Casey, Mark J. Firmin and Sean McKean