Attorney Mark Nation

Proven Results + Trial Readiness: Hundreds of millions recovered • 100+ jury trials • 200+ appeals

Mark Nation is a Florida eminent domain and property-rights trial lawyer who represents property owners, business owners, and tenants when the government—or a utility with condemnation authority—seeks to take property or impose an easement. For more than 35 years, he has focused on high-stakes civil litigation and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients across Florida.

Mr. Nation is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial Law and Business Litigation. He has tried well over 100 jury trials to verdict and has handled more than 200 appeals, arguing cases in front of every appellate court in the State of Florida, including the Florida Supreme Court. Because of his courtroom experience and case-preparation discipline, other law firms across the state frequently ask him to step in to try cases—either alongside trial counsel or as lead trial counsel—and to handle appeals for their clients.

Experience that matters in eminent domain

Eminent domain cases are not just about what gets taken—it is about what the taking does to the value, use, access, drainage, visibility, operations, and future plans for the property and the business. Mr. Nation’s eminent domain practice is statewide, and he has tried cases throughout Florida involving:

Full and partial takings
Temporary and permanent easements (including utility, pipeline, and power easements)
Severance damages and “cost-to-cure” issues
Access, drainage, and site-configuration impacts
Business-damage claims when a partial taking harms an established business issues

A straightforward approach designed to maximize recovery

Clients hire Mr. Nation because they want a disciplined plan and a lawyer who is prepared to go the distance if the case does not settle fairly. That approach typically includes:

Early evaluation of the government’s offer and the real “drivers of value”
Building the right expert team (appraisers, engineers, planners, accountants) early—not late
Developing proof that is persuasive in negotiations and admissible at trial
Protecting clients from common missteps that can reduce compensation

Attorney’s fees and costs in Florida eminent domain cases

In Florida eminent domain matters, attorney’s fees and many litigation costs are paid by the condemning authority and awarded separately from the compensation owed for the property interest being taken. That structure allows owners to hire experienced counselwithout the attorney’s fees coming out of what should be paid for the taking itself.

What judges have said about Mark Nation

“Mr. Nation has an impeccable reputation for competence, diligence, and professionalism.”

“The efficiency with which Mr. Nation prepares his cases is not lost on this Court.”

“The Court is familiar with Mr. Nation and has seen him in this Court many times over the years…. The Court is aware of Mr. Nation’s reputation for competence, diligence, and professionalism in the legal community.”

“The Court also finds a high degree of skill was required to perform the legal services properly in this case. The Court finds that Mr. Nation as Plaintiff’s attorney, was required in this case because his significant and particular skills were necessary to properly present and try this case to this particular jury.”

“Typically, someone of Mr. Nation’s reputation and abilities as a trial lawyer is especially required when you’re going to the mat in a particular case, like this was.”

“Mr. Nation’s trying of the case was efficient and effective. I find this case was extremely well tried before the jury. The jury actually asked to award more damages than were asked for. After the jury was instructed they were unable to award more and must rely on the evidence, the jury came back and said they found something in the evidence which would allow them to award more than had been asked for. … I have never experienced that response from a jury before, and it was frankly amazing.”

Areas of Practice:

Wrongful Death
Personal Injury
Insurance Cases

Bar Admissions:

Pennsylvania
Florida
Tennessee
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Education:

University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1990
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 1987

Honors and Awards:

In 2010, the Seminole County Bar Association chose Mr. Nation to receive its Whigham-Gray Award. This award is given to the Seminole County lawyer who demonstrates outstanding community involvement and professionalism.

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Member
Ronald McDonald House
Board of Directors
Seminole County Bar Association
Board of Directors
Volie Williams Inns of Court
Northland, A Church Distributed, Casselberry

The Florida Bar Association

Mark Nation is board certified through the Florida Bar Association. To become certified, Nation had to pass a high-level examination. He was tested rigorously on his competence as a lawyer, his professionalism, and his knowledge of the particular area of law he practices. With this certification, he can confidently say to both clients and peers that he is a specialist in his field.

American Board of Trial Advocates

The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is a national association that works to create an overall better group of attorneys for the benefit of all. Mark Nation, along with his fellow ABOTA members, keeps a strict level of integrity in everything he does. He participates in learning and growing as an attorney as well as helping others learn and grow from him. Most importantly, he strives to constantly better the legal profession so that the bar for all professionals in his field is higher than ever before.

National Board of Trial Advocacy

Mark Nation is board certified through the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) which is a non-profit organization. NTBA is devoted to bettering trial advocacy attorneys throughout the nation and helping people connect with the best trial attorneys for their case. Nation is proud to be NBTA certified as this has long been known as a certification that requires an arduous process and has exemplary standards for its attorneys.