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Jamie L. Ackerman

mark photo

Mark V. Asdourian

Business & Real Estate Attorneys

Mortgage & Finance Experts

When navigating challenging currents, there is no better feeling than knowing you have seasoned lawyers at the ready to guide you, your family, and your business to a safe harbor.

HomeMark V.Jamie L.

Mark is a member of the bars of the State of California and New York. He recently returned to private practice after concluding his secondment as Chairman of the Board, CEO and General Counsel of a consumer finance subsidiary of GE Capital (WMC).

Mark was initially retained by GE Capital in 2013 as WMC's Chief Legal Officer responsible for the management of significant financial exposure associated with the origination and securitization of nonprime and Alt-A residential mortgage loans that experienced massive defaults during the Great Recession. In 2016, Mark was then recruited by GE Capital to assume the further responsibilities of Chairman and CEO. Through these executive positions, Mark supervised a team of attorneys and managed the defense of multibillion-dollar RMBS litigation. In addition to managing an annual legal budget in excess of $50M as well as overseeing various compliance issues associated with discontinued mortgage loan origination operations, Mark was responsible for responding to a FIRREA investigation conducted by the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As part of WMC's final wind down, Mark successfully negotiated the settlement of $450M in claims asserted by five national banks for $34M.

Prior to his employment with GE Capital, Mark operated a successful law firm which he founded in 1994. Over the course of his legal career, Mark established a reputation as a tough litigator who can deftly handle headline risk actions and secure just results. For example, Mark was co-trial counsel in obtaining a verdict in favor of Weyerhaeuser Mortgage Company against California Federal Bank and two former executives, each of whom was found liable for fraud and civil RICO. After a four-week trial, the jury awarded Weyerhaeuser over $6.5M in compensatory damages and $25M in punitive damages against all defendants.

Mark also represented WMC Mortgage as sole trial counsel in an action filed against a former executive officer and a competing lender who conspired to tortiously interfere with the sale of WMC's prime mortgage lending business to Wells Fargo Bank. After a nearly three-week trial, the court ruled that the defendants had intentionally interfered with WMC's transaction, engaged in unfair competition and awarded damages in excess of $3M. Mark's 25 plus years of business litigation experience and representation of business owners has sharpened his skills as an effective negotiator, both in resolving disputes and striking deals. He has negotiated and documented numerous businesses transactions on behalf of a broad range of clients from start-up entrepreneurs to established enterprises in the financial services industry.

Mark was born and raised in New York City and briefly practiced law in Manhattan after law school. He returned to California in 1987 and moved to Orange County in 1991, where he and his wife raised two sons. Mark is an avid runner and, time permitting, enjoys traveling. Mark is a former member of the Board of Governors of The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and currently serves as Chairman of the Trust Fund and member of the Parish Council for St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa. Mark is the General Counsel of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.