He received his law degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California in 1989. He graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelors of Business Administration (Finance) in 1986. He was elected a member of the West Virginia State Legislature in 1996.

He has been recognized by Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World. He is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (1992), the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College (2001) and the American Trial Lawyers' Association Ultimate Advocacy School (2002). While attending law school, Mark was elected to the School of Law Honor Board which adjudicated violations of the school's honor code. He studied international law in London, England.

He was employed by Bank of America Futures, Inc., on the trading floor of the London International Financial Futures Exchange (L.I.F.F.E.) during "The Crash of 1987". Mark formerly practiced law in Los Angeles, California, for Crosby Heafey, Roach & May which has since become the California Office of one of the world's largest firms, Reed Smith.

He is married to Cynthia Walker Underwood of McKinney, Texas.