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Mark Cameli is a widely respected litigator with decades of experience helping individuals and businesses navigate crises, remove obstacles and achieve their goals. He is a shareholder and chair of the firm’s White Collar Litigation and Corporate Compliance Team, a former member of Reinhart’s Board of Directors and former co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice. Mark serves on the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, where he is its former chair, and he co-chairs of the Pro Bono Committee.

Mark’s extensive experience representing clients includes:

  • Defending companies and individuals in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement actions and conducting internal investigations for securities compliance issues.
  • Serving as a fearless advocate for a broad range of clients in manufacturing, health care, religious organizations, defense contractors and others who are targets or victims of fraud, including government program fraud.
  • Representing companies accused of wrongdoing by whistleblowers, including in the context of qui tam actions.
  • Serving as a mediator in high-stakes and complex disputes and employing strategies to help all parties find common ground.
  • Successfully representing businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including conducting internal investigations and managing large cases through trial and appeal.

He creates highly practical and reputation-saving strategies and solutions, and – when appropriate – he counsels clients on finding success using low-cost, publicly available resources. Recognized for his achievements both inside and outside of the courtroom, Mark was aptly described in Chambers USA as a “wonderfully talented lawyer with an abundance of common sense.”

Mark's clients frequently come to him during a point of crisis and rely upon his excellent negotiation skills, as well as his trial and appellate experience as demonstrated in hundreds of civil and criminal cases including a significant number of published cases. However, Mark also offers clients access to preemptive and extremely effective strategic planning designed to mitigate compliance risk. He instructs both professionals and staff members on ways to avoid costly mistakes.

Prior to joining Reinhart, Mark served as a state prosecutor, then as a member of the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin where he became Chief of the Civil Division. Mark was the district' first Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator. This unique professional background gives him valuable, in-depth knowledge and experience with both the prosecution and defense of business tort and fraud-based cases and the creative defense of white collar criminal and civil matters.

In his work as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mark also served as the chief of the Financial Litigation Unit where he tried commercial disputes between the government and third parties. Mark was frequently recognized for his accomplishments — notably by the Attorney General and federal agencies.

In addition to his legal practice, Mark is a seasoned presenter who speaks to client groups and professional associations on enterprise risk management and best practices. He has shared his skills in trial advocacy as a faculty member for the Attorney General's Advocacy Institute at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and taught programs sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan Bar Associations.

Away from the office, he has a wide variety of interests. He is both an opera and automotive enthusiast, enjoys spending time with his three daughters and four grandchildren, and is a dedicated purveyor and consumer of good humor.

Education

  • J.D., Marquette University Law School
  • B.A., Marquette University

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Matters

  • Represents clients targeted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for insider trading and other securities fraud
  • Successfully represented an officer of an investment firm charged with securities fraud resulting in the client’s exoneration on all charges
  • Co-counseled prosecution of a civil fraud action leading to the largest verdict in Wisconsin history (at that time)
  • Persuaded federal and state prosecutors not to charge public officials, health care professionals and other clients, avoiding all negative publicity and damage to the client’s reputation
  • Advocates on behalf of others targeted for government program fraud in Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA), Medicare, Medicaid and defense contractor related matters
  • Uses public resources to assist corporate victims recovering from the impact of white-collar crime within their own or related organizations
  • Works collaboratively with some of the nation’s largest law firms that are representing clients in Wisconsin’s state and federal courts
  • Represents relators in selective qui tam actions and has successfully represented parties charged in claims brought by whistleblowers

Honors & Affiliations

Honors

  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
  • Best Lawyers® – Lawyer of the Year, Bet-the-Company Litigation (2022, 2024)
  • Best Lawyers® – Lawyer of the Year – Litigation (2021, 2019, 2024)
  • Best Lawyers Mark was the sole attorney to be recognized in 2016 by the Milwaukee Bar Association as a Pro Bono Publico award recipient
  • Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers (2006 to present; Top 50 in Wisconsin and Top 25 in Milwaukee, 2017)
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Benchmark Litigation: Wisconsin Litigation Star (2012 to present)
  • Wisconsin Law Journal “Leader in the Law” (2013)
  • Justinian Society “Citizen of the Year” (2012)

Affiliations

  • Milwaukee Bar Association
  • State Bar of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin; Former member of the Board of Governors of the Eastern District Bar Association
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin; Former president of the Western District Bar Association
  • Neighborhood House (former Board of Directors member), an inner-city community center promoting education and empowerment
  • Florentine Opera (former President, Board of Directors)
  • Justinian Society of Wisconsin (Board of Directors, Past President)
  • Thomas E. Fairchild Inns of Court (Master)
  • Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin (Board of Directors)

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