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Home > Subrogation & Recovery > People > Mullen, Mark T.
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Mark T. Mullen

Senior Counsel

Office Philadelphia

Phone (215) 665-2091  Fax (215) 665-2013

Email mmullen@cozen.com

 
Overview
Experience
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Mark Mullen has particular experience in federal court procedure, spoliation issues, and the economic loss doctrine.

Throughout his career handling subrogation matters for more than 30 years, Mark has investigated fires in refineries, warehouses, commercial properties, and vehicles, as well as explosions, building collapses, energy losses, machine failures, and floods all over the country and internationally. He has investigated failures in more than 20 states and six foreign countries and has tried cases or handled appeals in both state and federal courts in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Many of the cases he handles involve confidential settlements with the recovery of substantial monies for both insured and uninsured losses. Last year he successfully represented multiple insurers in a $25 million commercial loss that occurred at a dock/oil storage facility in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Mark is a frequent author and lecturer on legal issues with specialization on the topics of federal court jurisdiction, practice and procedure and spoliation of evidence. Mark is active in The Children of The Father Foundation, a nonprofit Catholic Ministry involved in spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Mark is a summa cum laude graduate of St. Joseph's University and a cum laude graduate of the Villanova University School of Law, where he served as a note and comment editor of the Villanova Law Review. Following graduation, he spent two years as a law clerk to The Hon. Donald W. VanArtsdalen in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

 

Won a seven-figure verdict on behalf of two insurers and their insured in a case stemming from a fire that damaged both a commercial property and inventory stored on an outside lot. In securing this verdict after a four-day jury trial, we overcame the difficulties inherent in proving that the fire was caused by a cigarette carelessly discarded from a neighboring property. We also overcame a contributory negligence defense that the storage of combustible inventory violated fire prevention codes by proving that the admitted contributory negligence lacked causation. This case was tried in a jurisdiction where a finding of one percent causal fault by a plaintiff would have resulted in a defense verdict. This win was affirmed by the intermediate appellate court and that reported opinion was affirmed by Maryland’s highest Court, The Maryland Court of Appeals, in August of 2020.  The opinion will be reported in Maryland’s official reporter.


Best Lawyers Honors More Than 250 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in Best Lawyers in America 2026 Edition

August 21, 2025

Best Lawyers selected more than 250 Cozen O'Connor lawyers from 26 of the firm's US offices for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

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Specific Personal Jurisdiction Established Through Indirect Evidence of Targeting a Market [Alert]

February 03, 2025

Mark Mullen discusses a recent California Appellate decision that held a foreign automobile manufacturer could be haled into a state court in California through the indirect actions of its distributor without offending constitutional due process.

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Courts Grapple with Constitutional Limits of Personal Jurisdiction [Alert]

July 05, 2022

In three recent opinions (two state and one federal), courts reached different results on the constitutional limits of courts exercising personal jurisdiction.

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Property Owners Owe Duty of Reasonable Care to Neighbors in Maryland if Circumstances Create Hazard [Alert]

July 29, 2020

Mark Mullen and Larry Walker discuss the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upholding the intermediate appellate court’s decision that a property owner owes a duty of care to the owners and occupants of neighboring properties to use and maintain that property in a reasonably safe manner so as to avoid harm to neighboring properties.

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Eighth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment for Manufacturer in Product Defect Claim [Alert]

May 13, 2020

Mark Mullen discussed a decision by the Eighth Circuit that reminds manufacturers that instructions and warnings are not a substitute for a safe design.

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Supreme Court to Hear Specific Personal Jurisdiction Product Cases That Caused Harm in Forum States

February 03, 2020

Mark Mullen discusses the two Supreme Court decisions that limited the ability of plaintiffs to sue defendants in certain jurisdictions because of defects in personal jurisdiction and how that may change soon.

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Property Owners Owe Duty of Care to Neighbors Even When Use Is Not Inherently or Unreasonably Dangerous [Alert]

June 05, 2019

Mark Mullen and Larry Walker discuss Maryland Court of Appeals ruling regarding a property owner's duty to care.

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Connecticut Supreme Court Clarifies (and Relaxes) the Default Rule for Subrogation Against Tenants [Alert]

November 20, 2018

Mark Mullen and Erick Kirker discuss the recent decision in Amica Mut. Ins. Co. v. Muldowney and how it changes of the law for subrogated insurers of landlords in Connecticut.

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The Eleventh Circuit Affirms CSST Fire Verdict in Subrogation Case [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

January 16, 2018

Mark Mullen discusses Eleventh Circuit's decision in a subrogation claim that also involved uninsured losses against Ward Manufacturing, Inc., one of the major manufacturers of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST).

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IN RE: HURRICANE HARVEY, INVERSE CONDEMNATION AND POTENTIAL SUBROGATION ACTIONS [Subrogation & Recovery Whitepaper]

October 30, 2017

Mark Mullen and Raz Barnea analyze the statutory framework and existing decisional law relating to potential subrogation causes of action against governmental entities in connection with Hurricane Harvey.

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Fires in Buildings Under Construction, Renovation or Demolition Present Unique Subrogation Challenges [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

September 28, 2017

The most recent edition of the NFPA Journal, the Magazine of the National Fire Protection Association, highlights the unique dangers for large buildings under construction and renovation from significant fire damage to those buildings and surrounding properties.

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The Supreme Court Gets “Specific” on Jurisdiction [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

July 25, 2017

Mark Mullen discusses the Supreme Court's decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of California and its potential impact on subrogation cases.

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CPVC Plastic Sprinkler Pipes and Fittings - What they are, how they fail, and how to evaluate recovery issues

April 03, 2017

Cozen O’Connor recently provided a detailed presentation and power point on CPVC pipe failures. Here are a few of the slides documenting why this issue is important for subrogation professionals.

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Federal Courts Refuse to Enforce Waiver of Subrogation Clauses in Certain Residential Situations [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

February 22, 2017

Mark T. Mullen and Sean P. O’Donnell discuss two recent decisions in federal courts that refused to dismiss subrogation claims filed by the insurers of a homeowner and lessees of apartments who suffered damages paid by their carriers.

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Establishing General Jurisdiction Post-Daimler Using Waiver or Consent [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

November 01, 2016

Mark Mullen discusses how to determining where to file suit in the wake of the Magill and Bors decisions following the Supreme Court’s decision in Daimler.

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Federal Judges “Weigh In” on Expert Testimony [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

August 03, 2015

Two recent decisions by district court judges in Philadelphia and one by the 4h Circuit in Richmond are encouraging to subrogation professionals because the challenges went to the weight rather than admissibility of the testimony.

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Attorney Means “Attorney” – Lessons for Subrogation Professions From Recent Federal Court Decisions Clarifying the Disclosure Requirements for Expert Materials [Subrogation & Recovery Alert]

April 21, 2014

In 2010, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 was amended to provide new limitations on the discovery allowed for testifying experts in federal court cases. The most significant changes with regard to testifying experts, i.e., experts you intend to call at the time of trial, were that: (1) drafts of expert reports to counsel are no longer discoverable; and (2) communications between experts and counsel are no longer discoverable unless they relate to (i) compensation or (ii) facts, data, or assumptions provided by counsel that were considered by the expert. For subrogation professionals, these changes were positive as the amendments’ goals were to reduce costs and time spent on discovery of draft reports and an expert’s discussions or communications with counsel. The changes were further meant to streamline the discovery process and focus the parties on issues that were more central to the case, which was also good news to folks handling subrogation litigation.

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Subrogation: The Land of Missed Opportunity [Property Casualty 360]

September 05, 2013

In Property Casualty 360, Mark Mullen explains how property insurers handle thousands of claims per year, and most of them will not involve potential third-party responsibility. Nevertheless, claims professionals must remain vigilant as a missed subrogation opportunity on any loss, especially a large loss, impacts recoveries.

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Third Circuit Opinion Splits Pennsylvania Product Liability Law [Subrogation and Recovery Alert!]

August 10, 2011

Third Circuit Opinion Splits Pennsylvania Product Liability Law - Subrogation and Recovery Alert! - Is there a negligence component in strict product liability law in Pennsylvania? According to the Federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Covell v. Bell Sports, Inc., No. 10-3860 (3rd Cir., June 21, 2011 Slip Op.) there is. This Alert reviews the Covell decision discussing the current split in Pennsylvania about negligence concepts in strict product liability law.

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Use of Breach of Warranty Claims in Pursuing Subrogation Claims [Subrogation White Paper]

December 21, 2010

Use of Breach of Warranty Claims in Pursuing Subrogation Claims - Subrogation White Paper - The primary causes of action available to plaintiffs in typical property damage subrogation cases come from the law of torts with negligence and strict liability claims or the law of contract with breach of contract claims. In certain circumstances, breach of warranty provides an avenue of recovery. There is no single source of warranty law. Rather, there are different strands, some of which are statutory,

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Summer 2010 [Subrogation & Recovery Observer]

July 29, 2010

Summer 2010 - Subrogation & Recovery Observer -

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Fall 2009 [Subrogation and Recovery Observer]

October 01, 2009

Fall 2009 - Subrogation and Recovery Observer - Welcome to the Fall 2009 issue of the Cozen O'Connor Subrogation and Recovery Observer. In this issue, we report on our recent trial victories, notable settlements, and other newsworthy developments in subrogation issues

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Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers [Spoilation of Evidence]

January 13, 2006

Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers - Spoilation of Evidence -

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NFPA 921 and Proper Loss Site Investigation Techniques [Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers Forensic Consultants & Loss Site Investigations -]

January 13, 2006

NFPA 921 and Proper Loss Site Investigation Techniques - Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers Forensic Consultants & Loss Site Investigations - - 5 pgs total (1996 version). Fire origin and cause investigators must be intimately familiar with NFPA 921 given the current landscape of civil litigation and the parameters associated with the admissibility of expert testimony. Topics: ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF NFPA 921; INFORMATION ADDRESSED; IMPORTANCE OF NFPA TO THE CLAIMS ADJUSTER, EXPERTS AND COUNSEL. NFPA 921 was issued in '92 and focused primarily on the determination of origin and causes of fires and explosions involving structures.

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Maximizing Recovery of Damages in Subrogation/Recovery Claims [Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers]

January 13, 2006

Maximizing Recovery of Damages in Subrogation/Recovery Claims - Subrogation and Recovery - Articles and Papers - 7 pg total. Insuring that recovery representatives and adjusters are maximizing damages for which recovery is sought by way of negotiation, arbitration, or trial is a several step process. Therefore, we certainly want to start with the maximum provable damage claim that we can legitimately advance under the law. The goal is to have our figure as the starting point for negotiation rather than the other side’s lower figure.

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“STAY AT HOME” SUBROGATION VIRTUAL SEMINAR Webinar 06/16/2020
Personal Jurisdiction Webinar Where Can You Pursue a Recovery Claim? Webinar 04/30/2019
Webinar: Circles of Trust Webinar 11/22/2016
Webinar: The Baltimore Riots: Analyzing the Subrogation Prospects Webinar 01/13/2016
Cozen O'Connor Richmond Subrogation Seminar Richmond, VA 05/07/2015

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  • Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1983
  • St. Joseph's University, B.S., summa cum laude, 1980

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  • American Bar Association
  • American Trial Lawyers Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
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