Mr. Markey has been a trial lawyer for 39 years and founded the Law Offices of Christian E. Markey III in 1999 in order to provide his clients with the highest level of client service and satisfaction, initially in business litigation, and since 2006 exclusively in family law matters. His Beverly Hills practice is devoted entirely to all aspects of family law. He is also Of Counsel with Hersh Mannis, LLP in Beverly Hills.
Mr. Markey is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale- Hubbell, a testament to the fact that his peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence and ethical standards. Mr. Markey has held this rating for more than 33 years.
EDUCATION
Mr. Markey graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Berkeley in 1981 and received First Degree Honors from the University of Kent, Canterbury, England. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 1984 where he was a Notes and Articles Editor and Staff Member of two law journals: the Computer Law Journal and Major Tax Planning. His Note, "State and Federal Taxation of Computer Software: A Functional Approach" was published in the Computer Law Journal, Vol. IV, No.4, Spring 1984. While in law school, Mr. Markey received the Charles M. Gayley Fellowship from the University of California.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
In his "prior life" as a complex business litigation trial attorney, Christian Markey spent nearly two decades as a trial attorney with some of the top litigation firms in Los Angeles, including: heading a Century City Litigation Department handling entertainment; handling intellectual property and business litigation in state and federal courts for corporations, celebrities and other individuals; leading a team of attorneys on two $40+ million intellectual property cases for Fortune 100 high tech client in Silicon Valley; handling environmental, entertainment, intellectual property, and complex business litigation; arguing before various Courts of Appeals; acting as outside general counsel to two mid-sized corporations and successfully handling their litigation, contract negotiations, personnel and other business transactions; and successfully prosecuting eight jury trials to verdict as a volunteer Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney. From 1987- 2001, he was also an instructor, in conjunction with the UCLA Law School, teaching post-graduate students in the UCLA Attorney Assistant Training Program.
ADMISSIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Christian Markey was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985 and is admitted to the Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern U.S. District Courts in California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of: the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Family Law Section, former member of the Appellate Courts committee): Beverly Hills Bar Association (Family Law, Litigation and Entertainment Sections, The Order of Distinguished Attorneys); Southern California Family Law American Inns of Court (panelist and moderator, President 2023- present, Co-Chair 2020-2023); former member of the Federal Bar Association(Assistant Secretary, Los Angeles Chapter 1986-87, Membership Secretary 1987-89); former member of American Bar Association (Litigation, Corporate and Environmental Sections). The Beverly Hills Courier featured Mr. Markey as one of its Top Attorneys for 2010. The Los Angeles Times named him a Top Lawyer in 2017.
PRO BONO WORK
Christian Markey served as a Los Angeles County Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem (1996-99); a Pro Bono Attorney for Public Counsel of Los Angeles (1986-95); a Mock Trial Scoring Attorney or Judge for the Constitutional Rights Foundation (1984-2001); a Volunteer Attorney for the Insurance Coverage Workshop for 1992 L.A. riot victims, First AME Church, Los Angeles; a member of the Board of Directors, Autoland, Inc. (2001). His longstanding commitment to the community is exemplified by his involvement in: Chrysalis (1986-present), the Dream Foundation (2002-present), the Challenged Athletes Foundation (1998-present). In 2002, he was recognized for his pro bono work on a street vacation proceeding to create a four-acre green zone on Hoover Blvd., Los Angeles (see photos below). He served as the Organizing Chairman, Beach Pentathlon with LAPD, L.A. County Lifeguards and Fire Department, USC Police (1997); Organizing Committee "For Peace Sake," Charity fundraiser for victims of 1992 L.A. riot, Daniel Freeman Hospital, (1992-1994); Young Alumni Council, University of California, Berkeley, (1988-1991); University of California Student Recruiter, (1985-2001); Organizing Committee for University of California Cal Band Fundraiser, (1986-2004); and Dinner Committee for University of California Nobel Prize winners, (1987). Mr. Markey successfully represented a pro bono client in a nullity of marriage case all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court
In his spare time, Christian Markey has finished more than 135 triathlons, including Ironman California (2001) and was a nationally ranked triathlete (1996-2002). Prior to his entry into triathlons, he ran the Los Angeles Marathon ten times (1988-1997). He also finished the 100th Boston Marathon (1996). He enjoys skiing and playing tennis with his son.
Contact info:
(310) 786-7899
cmarkey@markeyplc.com