Mark Steven Williams was admitted to the California Bar 6th October 1995, but has since been disbarred. Mark graduated from Stanford University Law School.

Lawyer Information

NameMark Steven Williams
First Admitted6 October 1995 (28 years, 7 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number177754

Contact

Phone Number650-868-8142
Fax Number650-325-8044

Schools

Law SchoolStanford University Law School (Stanford CA)
Undergraduate SchoolStanford University (Stanford CA)

Address

Current Address1855 White Oak Dr
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Map

History

13 May 2011Disbarred (12 years, 12 months ago)
Disbarment 09-N-11305
23 October 2010Not eligible to practice law in CA (13 years, 6 months ago)
Ordered inactive 09-N-11305
7 July 2010Not eligible to practice law in CA (13 years, 10 months ago)
Ordered inactive 09-N-11305
23 April 2010Not eligible to practice law in CA (14 years ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 00-O-12707
21 December 2008Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 4 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 06-C-13063
16 August 2007Not eligible to practice law in CA (16 years, 8 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pay fees
21 July 2007Not eligible to practice law in CA (16 years, 9 months ago)
Ordered inactive 06-C-13063
3 August 2006Conviction record transmitted to State Bar Court 06-C-13064 (17 years, 9 months ago)
25 July 2006Conviction record transmitted to State Bar Court 06-C-13063 (17 years, 9 months ago)
28 February 2003Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 00-O-12707 (21 years, 2 months ago)
6 October 1995Admitted to the State Bar of California (28 years, 7 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

May 13, 2011

MARK STEVEN WILLIAMS [#177754], 58, of Menlo Park was disbarred May 13, 2011, and was ordered to comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court.

In a default proceeding, the State Bar Court found that Williams violated an earlier rule 9.20 order by failing to submit to the court an affidavit stating that he notified his clients, opposing counsel and other interested parties of his suspension. Although he filed a declaration of compliance three months late, failure to comply with the rule is grounds for disbarment.

The underlying discipline, imposed in 2008, followed misdemeanor convictions for trespassing and fleeing from a park ranger. The bar court’s review department found that neither conviction involved moral turpitude and reduced a disbarment recommendation to a suspension.

Williams, who is both a lawyer and a doctor, was disciplined again in 2010 for three acts of misconduct — he committed acts of moral turpitude by make false and misleading statements on applications for hospital privileges, did not notify the State Bar of disciplinary action taken against him by the medical board, and he failed to uphold the law. His medical license was revoked in 1999 and he was subsequently employed by a law firm, where he represented himself as a doctor, without notifying his employer that his license had been revoked.

In recommending disbarment, Judge Richard Honn wrote that Williams “has demonstrated an unwillingness to comply with the professional obligations and rules of court imposed on California attorneys although he has been given opportunities to do so.”

April 23, 2010

MARK STEVEN WILLIAMS [#177754], 58, of Menlo Park was suspended for two years, stayed, and placed on two years of probation with a six-month actual suspension. The order took effect April 23, 2010.

The State Bar Court review department upheld a hearing judge’s findings that Williams, who has both medical and law degrees, committed three acts of misconduct — he committed acts of moral turpitude by make false and misleading statements on applications for hospital privileges, did not notify the State Bar of disciplinary action taken against him by the medical board, and he failed to uphold the law.

Williams’ medical license was revoked in 1999. He was subsequently employed by a law firm, where he represented himself as a doctor, without notifying his employer that his license had been revoked. The Sonoma County District Attorney charged him with three counts of improperly holding himself out as a doctor, but the charges were dismissed after Williams completed a diversion program for misdemeanors.

The review department agreed with the hearing judge’s find that Williams’ insistence on “his right to use the designation M.D. demonstrates an indifference toward rectification of or atonement for the consequences of his misconduct.” Williams, who admitted to the court he has a history of depression and anxiety, also was required to seek mental health treatment.

December 21, 2008

MARK STEVEN WILLIAMS [#177754], 56, of Menlo Park was suspended for two years, stayed, placed on three years of probation with an actual two-year suspension and he was ordered to take the MPRE, comply with rule 9.20 and prove his rehabilitation. The order took effect Dec. 21, 2008.

Williams sought review of a State Bar Court hearing judge’s recommendation that he be disbarred following misdemeanor convictions for trespassing and fleeing from a park ranger. The review court found that neither conviction involved moral turpitude and reduced the disbarment recommendation to a suspension. However, Judge JoAnn Remke wrote, “It is clear that (Williams) has problems dealing with authority and managing his anger.”

Both incidents started with what Remke described as “fairly innocuous but improper behavior,” but when challenged, Williams reacted with “irrational and unlawful responses.”

In the first case, Williams was jogging on private property in 1997 when the property owner asked him to leave. He ignored the request but eventually stopped and kicked the property owner’s truck before running away. Another individual saw him jogging on the property a few months later and also asked him to leave; again he responded by kicking the woman’s car.

Williams pleaded guilty to trespassing and two vandalism charges were dismissed.

In 2004, Williams was running in an open space preserve with his running club when a ranger spotted him putting a leash on a dog who had been off-leash. When the ranger asked him to stop, he ran away. An hour-long search for Williams by three rangers was unsuccessful, but they were able to learn his identity and he was charged with resisting an officer and fighting in a public place. He pleaded no contest to the latter charge.

In a third, uncharged incident, Williams attended a function where the planners had asked that he be kept out. He gave a phony identity to a park ranger and eventually was escorted from the function by police.

The court considered a second disciplinary recommendation, which is pending, as a prior discipline record. In that matter, the review department found that Williams, who is also a physician, made false and misleading statements and omissions on various applications for hospital staff privileges and continued to use the M.D. designation even after criminal charges were brought against him. The review department has recommended a six-month suspension.

“When viewed in its entirety, the record clearly confirms that respondent fails to recognize the wrongfulness of his actions,” Remke wrote. His “holistic problems with authority raise a serious concern regarding his fitness to practice.”

The court gave some mitigation to Williams’ volunteer work at Stanford University, the park service and other community service, but said his testimony about treatment for mental health problems was not supported by expert testimony.