Mark R. Caldwell

Mark R. Caldwell was born in Beaufort, South Carolina on June 29, 1979. Mark attended Eastfield Community College in Mesquite, Texas and transferred to Southern Methodist University where he earned a full academic scholarship. One year later, he attended the London School of Economics as
a General Course Student. Mark earned his law degree from New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts in 2005. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2005.

After graduating, Mark entered private practice as a litigator in a boutique probate and trust firm, representing executors, guardians, and beneficiaries in complex estate and trust litigation. He has also represented fiduciaries in all phases of estate, trust, and guardianship administration. He has extensive courtroom experience, including obtaining a favorable jury verdict in a guardianship case involving an elderly ward. Mark also serves as an attorney ad-litem in guardianship cases. Mark enjoys the investigatory aspects of estate and trust litigation, including reviewing and analyzing medical, financial, and suspicious property records and transactions.

Mark is committed to developing and maintaining strong, personal relationships with clients. He endeavors to offer smart, pragmatic and cost-effective legal advice. Mark believes that the strongest winning position is one that is simple, direct, and understandable. He realizes that estate and guardianship litigation often involves substantial damage to family relationships. While he strives to advocate strong, aggressive positions for clients, he also strives to resolve disputes in an ethical and reasonable manner that, if desired, does not preclude the opportunity for reconciliation.

Mark is a member of the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section of the State Bar of Texas, the Probate and Trust Section of the Dallas Bar Association, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Elder Law Section, and the St. Thomas More Society. He also leads an ongoing monthly probate study group for fellow probate lawyers and court staff.

He has recently published a law review article entitled A Good Deed Repaid: Awarding Attorney's Fees in Contested Guardianship Proceedings; S. Tex. L. Rev., Volume 51, Issue 2 (Spring 2010).

Mark is married and has three children. He enjoys sports, backpacking, traveling and spending time with his family.