Mark Parnes joined Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto in the fall of 1982, when the firm had 40 lawyers and occupied the ninth and tenth floors of Palo Alto Square. Over the next four decades, Mark advanced from litigation associate to litigation partner before moving into firm leadership as assistant general counsel and ultimately general counsel. By the time he retired in 2024, Wilson Sonsini had grown to 19 offices, more than 1,100 attorneys, and 2,100 employees, with revenue approaching $1.4 billion.

We spoke with Mark about his career at the firm, what he learned along the way, and life after retirement.

Did you choose the law, or did it choose you?

I chose the law, but fortunately the firm chose me.

I first heard about Wilson Sonsini from Steve Bochner, a close friend who was a year ahead of me at Berkeley Law and had been a summer associate at the firm. He encouraged me to seriously consider this up-and-coming Palo Alto firm. I interviewed on campus with John Wilson, one of the firm’s founders and early leaders, and joined the Litigation Department.

It was an exciting time. Wilson Sonsini was growing quickly and aiming to compete with the larger San Francisco firms. We were all committed to building a great law firm, becoming the leading firm in Silicon Valley, and executing on Larry Sonsini’s “three circle” business plan.

Tell us about your career at the firm, including your role as general counsel and in the pro bono program.

I began my career as a litigator at a dynamic time. The firm was growing, Silicon Valley was taking off, and we were building the litigation practice alongside it. There was a real sense that we were creating something special together.

I was incredibly fortunate to work closely with Harry Bremond, a longtime litigation partner, one of the first Black attorneys in the Bay Area, and an early champion of the firm’s commitment to pro bono and community service. Harry taught me how to be a professional, helped me learn my craft, and showed me through his example how meaningful it could be to make pro bono service part of a legal career.

Mark Parnes with Harry Bremond and Don Bradley.

 

Eventually, I managed our Employment Law practice, handling employment, trade secret mobility, and other litigation matters. We built a close-knit Litigation Department, contributed to the firm’s growth, and had a front-row seat to the astonishing rise of Silicon Valley in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1999, I moved into a management role in the Office of the General Counsel, working closely with Don Bradley, the firm’s first general counsel. Don became another important mentor and taught me an enormous amount about law firm risk management, ethics, insurance claims and, most importantly, what it means to be a lawyer for your fellow lawyers.

Working in the Office of the General Counsel, and later serving as general counsel, gave me the chance to work with generations of outstanding managing partners, board members, and senior leaders as the firm expanded both domestically and globally. Helping to shape that growth firsthand was extraordinary and made coming to work every day both challenging and fun.

At the same time, I had the opportunity to grow the firm’s formal pro bono program and help broaden its commitment to community service, including increased support from the Wilson Sonsini Foundation to legal services and nonprofit organizations. I am especially proud that the pro bono program became an integral part of the firm’s culture. Knowing that it continues to give lawyers the opportunity to use their skills to help others has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.

How were you able to achieve work-life balance?

I wasn’t always successful! Like most professionals, I had to keep working at balancing the demands of the job with everything else that matters in life. I tried to make time for my health through exercise, hiking, yoga, meditation, and eating well, while also protecting time for the people I cared about and a healthy dose of fun.

What made the biggest difference was having a partner who was my best friend, understood the pressures of the profession, and brought empathy, compassion, and perspective to the rest of life. I was incredibly fortunate to find that person in my wife, Diane.

What is your favorite part of being retired?

Having the freedom to travel, savor the beauty of life in Maui, be with family and friends, read books frequently, and enjoy other things I never seemed to have enough time for while I was working. I’m amazed at how quickly the days fill up and the time flies by!

What advice would you give attorneys beginning their careers at the Firm?

Over the course of my career at the firm, I learned a great deal from experience, from mistakes, and from the mentors and colleagues around me. A few lessons have stayed with me:

• Learn your craft, develop deep expertise, and take ownership of every matter you work on.
• Ask questions and always take the time to submit your best work.
• Be proactive. Anticipate what your clients and colleagues will need and be a great teammate.
• Stay humble, listen carefully, and seek advice from colleagues when you are uncertain or when you make a mistake.
• Remember that you have one reputation, and you build it every day. Act ethically and in the best interests of your client and the firm.
• Take seriously your oath as an officer of the court and your responsibility to the justice system.
• Never underestimate your ability as a lawyer to help someone in need. Make pro bono part of your career.
• Think about the legacy you want to leave at the firm, in the profession, and the community through your skill, commitment, generosity, and wisdom.
•  Have fun. Enjoy the people and the journey.

What is something people may not know about you?

People may not know that hiking and basketball have been two of my lifelong passions.

I’ve had the opportunity to hike on six continents. Some of my favorite adventures have been in the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite, Maui, Nepal, Tibet and Ladakh, Mount Kilimanjaro, Patagonia, the Alps, and New Zealand. Nature never ceases to astonish me and always gives me a needed dose of awe, wonder, and humility.

Basketball has also been a lifelong passion. My dad got me hooked growing up in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. We went to many Lakers games and later had Warriors season tickets for decades, so I’ve been fortunate to watch the NBA evolve from Jerry West to Steph Curry. I stopped playing competitively in college, but it has been incredible to watch some of the greatest athletes in the world up close over the past six decades. What I’ve always admired most about watching them is the combination of talent, preparation, discipline, and teamwork it takes to perform at the highest level—qualities I’ve also seen in the very best lawyers I have known at the firm.