About Mark B.
Mark B. Pitchford combines a background in international relations and law that stretches back to the early 1980s. He earned an A.B. in International Relations from Stanford University in 1981, then completed his J.D. at Santa Clara University School of Law in 1984. That educational foundation set the stage for a long career at the intersection of legal counsel and administrative practice.
He is Administrative & Legal Practice Partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP. In that role he has overseen work for corporate clients and advised on a range of internal legal matters. He has experience handling matters that touch both regulatory and commercial concerns. Colleagues describe him as steady and practical in dealing with complex organizational issues.
Pitchford is admitted to practice in California and before several federal courts. His admissions include the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Those credentials have allowed him to represent clients in both state and federal forums when administrative and legal questions overlap.
Over the course of more than four decades in the profession he has worked on matters that require coordination between business leaders and outside counsel. He is comfortable advising executives, boards, and in-house legal teams. His approach tends to emphasize clear options, practical risk assessment, and an eye for the procedural steps that matter most in administrative settings.
Pitchford’s path from Stanford undergraduate to Santa Clara law graduate and then into practice reflects a steady progression into roles of increasing responsibility. He has held leadership positions within the practice group at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP and assisted in managing the interplay between legal strategy and institutional governance. He has remained active in the professional community, maintaining admissions that support cross-jurisdictional work.
Today he remains at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP where he continues to handle administrative and legal practice matters for clients in California and before federal courts. He currently concentrates on administrative and legal practice matters at his firm.
