From humble beginnings in Paducah, Mark Bryant has risen to become one of the best-known trial attorneys in Western Kentucky.
The front-page article of the Los Angeles Times describes him as “a former prosecutor with a swashbuckling style that charms juries.” Leading the Bryant Law Center P.S.C., his expertise has secured triumphs in national class action cases, derailment actions against major railroads, and substantial verdicts and settlements for clients who have endured brain damage, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful deaths. Mark Bryant has practiced in his hometown of Paducah, Kentucky since graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1973. Bryant is a product of the Paducah, Kentucky city schools, Paducah Community College, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
After completing law school, Mark Bryant became the Commonwealth Attorney for McCracken County. With an impressive track record, he was re-elected twice, serving a total of 16 years from 1974 to 1990. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Bryant was selected to receive the prestigious “Outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney in Kentucky” award. He is also the past president of the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association.
During his time as Commonwealth Attorney, Mark Bryant received numerous notable appointments and awards that solidified his standing in the legal community. Bryant was appointed to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Counsel and the Kentucky Crime Commission by Governor Julian M. Carroll; to the Governor’s Task Force on Crime and the Kentucky Jail Standards Commission by Governor John Y. Brown; to the Kentucky Child Abuse Prevention Board by Governor Martha Layne Collins; and to the Supreme Court of Kentucky Criminal Rules Committee by the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court, Hon. Robert F. Stephens.
Upon entering private practice in 1990, Bryant focused upon criminal defense work for several years.
Gradually, the focus of Bryant’s practice evolved, and he now focuses on civil personal injury, class action litigation, wrongful death litigation on behalf of victims, and death penalty murder defense. In his years of defending multiple death penalty murder cases not even one of his clients has ever received the death penalty and only one has ever been convicted of murder (but that client’s case was reversed on an appeal).
Mark Bryant is a well-accomplished individual.
From a young age, Mark embraced the values of hard work and determination. He attributes these traits to the influence of his family members and his experience as an Eagle Scout.
Bryant is a Kentucky Super Lawyer, a Life Member of the National Registry of Who’s Who, and a Listed Lawyer for the Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. Additionally, he holds the esteemed position of Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, while also being a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.
In 2012, Governor Steve Beshear appointed Mr. Bryant to a six-year term on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, where he was selected by his peers to serve as Vice Chair.
Mark Bryant has lectured on a variety of civil and criminal litigation-related topics for the Kentucky Bar Association, Kentucky Trial Lawyers Association, and University of Kentucky College of Law. He has also appeared as a guest on the Larry King Live Show as well as multiple times on Dateline NBC for his representation of defendants in death penalty murder cases.
Mark Bryant’s exceptional trial skills led to his selection as one of the top one hundred trial lawyers in Kentucky by The American Trial Lawyers Association of America. Notably, he is also a member of the exclusive Million Dollar Advocates Forum, reserved for trial lawyers who have achieved remarkable verdicts, awards, or settlements exceeding one million dollars.
He earned the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating from his peers, a distinction held by a select few attorneys.
In 2023, Mark Bryant received a remarkable honor as he was inducted into the Paducah Tilghman High School Hall of Fame. This recognition serves as a testament to his outstanding achievements and contributions to his community and state.
Outside of winning cases…
Mark is a voracious reader, a golfer and he and his wife Sue are often at the gym. He has volunteered time and raised funds for the Boy Scouts of America, Paducah Community Kitchen, Paducah-McCracken County NAACP, the Four Rivers Center, the McCracken County Humane Society, the George Wilson SAFETY Foundation, and Wounded Warriors. He also draws up wills free of charge for U.S. active-duty service members.
