Mark D. Epstein
Mark has been practicing law for over 31 years, and has more than 25 years of experience specializing in real estate, business, lending and title insurance litigation. He has a solid track record of successful client representations in resolving disputes that entail real property, title, escrow, commercial landlord-tenant, mortgage lending, easement, boundary line, encroachment and lien priority claims. Mark represents property owners, developers, fractional interest holders, title insurers, banks, and other financial institutions, as well as real estate professionals. He also represents business owners in contract disputes and commercial litigation.
Mark has been an adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law where he co-taught a course on real estate transactions and litigation during the fall 2015 and 2016 semesters.
Education
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law
- B.A., University of California, Davis
AREAS OF PRACTICE
OTHER EXPERIENCE
- Real Estate Litigation
- Title Insurance
AWARDS AND HONORS
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubbell
ARTICLES AND PRESENTATIONS
- Presenter, “What You Need to Know About California Mechanic’s Lien Foreclosure and Stop Notice Litigation: Strategies for Success”, an online presentation for on behalf of the Alameda County Bar Association Real Estate Section, September 4, 2024
- Presenter, “Navigating Property Disputes: Exploring the Mechanics of Litigating Quiet Title and Real Estate Partition Cases”, an online presentation for on behalf of the Alameda County Bar Association Real Estate Section, March 6, 2024
- Presenter, “What’s Mine May Be Yours: Involuntary Real Property Transfers”, an online presentation for on behalf of the Alameda County Bar Association Real Estate Section, November 1, 2023.
- Speaker, “Recovering Possession of Abandoned Leased Premises,” Oakland / Berkeley
Association of Realtors, December 9, 2019 - Speaker, “The Responsible Salesperson: Guidelines to Reduce Your Liability Risks,” Colliers
International, May 30, 2019 - Author, “Filling the Holes in a “Swiss Cheese Parcel” Correcting Flawed Metes & Bounds
Description,” California Land Title Association Claims Awareness Committee, March 8, 2018 - Author, “The Swiss Cheese Property Conundrum: Correcting CA’s Flawed Metes and
Bounds Descriptions,” Western Real Estate Business, October 2017 - Speaker, “The Devilish Details: Keeping an Eye Out for Mortgage Lien Irregularities That You
May Not Have Bargained For,” Wendel Rosen Client Seminar, February 13, 2017 - Speaker, “Title to Real Property – Strange But True Examples of What Can Go Wrong With
Title, and How to Fix Them” Wendel Rosen Client Seminar, December 12, 2017 - Speaker, “Unraveling Real Estate Co-Owner Disputes,” Oakland Association of Realtors,
December 14, 2015 - Speaker, “Easy In, Not Always So Easy Out,” Wendel Rosen Client Seminar, November 10,
2015 - Co-Speaker, “Law 257 – Real Estate Transactions & Litigation,” U.C. Berkeley School of Law,
Fall Semester 2015 - Speaker, “This Land is … Whose Land?” Wendel Rosen Client Seminar, April 14, 2015
- Speaker, “Default Remedies: Traps for the Unwary … Weapons for the Wise,” Wendel Rosen
Client Seminar, June 10, 2014 - Speaker, “Understanding Title Insurance: What it Typically Covers and Excludes, and What
Additional Coverage May Be Available,” Wendel Rosen Speaker Series, March 11, 2014 - Author, “New Law Regarding Short Sales Goes Into Immediate Effect: No Deficiency
Judgments,” Wendel Rosen Client Update, July 2011 - Author, “Reclaiming Lien Priority: The Doctrine of Equitable Subrogation Explained,” Wendel
Rosen Client Update, June 2013 - Speaker, “Insured Closing Letters: What Attorneys Need to Know,” tele-presentation,
National Business Institute, May 2011 - Presenter, “Opportunity Knocks: Investing in Residential Income Property,” April 2011
- Author, “Ensure That You’ve Insured The Right Property,” California Land Title Association
(CLTA) Claims Awareness Hot Sheet, October, 2010 - Author, “New Case Holds That Title Company Has No Liability When It Gratuitously Provides
Erroneous Title Information,” California Land Title Association (CLTA) Claims Awareness Hot
Sheet, September, 2010 - Presenter, “Important Provisions to Include in Real Estate Related Loan Documents,”
National Business Institute, May 2010 - Presenter, “Borrower vs. Lender: Negotiating the Workout Agreement,” National Business
Institute, May 2010 - Co-Author, “RESPA Update: Enforcement Delay a Call to Action,” Wendel Rosen Client
Update, December 16, 2009 - Panelist, “Real Property Foreclosure: A Step-by-Step Workshop,” National Business Institute,
November 2009 - Panelist, “In-Depth Title Insurance Principles,” National Business Institute, December 2007
Panelist, “Meeting the Challenges of California Real Estate Titles and Title Insurance,”
National Business Institute, February 2005 - Author, “Escrow 101: Follow the Instructions,” California Land Title Association (CLTA) Claims
Awareness Hot Sheet, February, 2005 - Panelist, “California Real Estate Law: Problems and Solutions,” National Business Institute,
May 2004
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
- Member, California Land Title Association
- Member, S.F. Bay Area Chapter, NAIOP – Commercial Real Estate Development
Association - Member, Bench Bar Liaison Committee, Federal Courts
- Member, Legal Affairs Forum, California Association of REALTORS®
- Member, Tort and Insurance Claim Sections, American Bar Association
- Member, Alameda County Bar Association
- Member, Oakland Rotary, No. 3
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit