Former Kaiser Permanente General Counsel provides more than four decades of legal leadership to mediation and arbitration team
SAN FRANCISCO , Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Signature Resolution, a leader in alternative dispute resolution, is thrilled to share that Mark Zemelman has joined the firm as a mediator and arbitrator. Mr. Zemelman holds more than 40 years of legal experience and is known for his fairness and pragmatic approach. He has built an impressive career that includes overseeing a broad range of commercial litigation, including healthcare, commercial litigation, class actions, employment, and mass torts. As General Counsel of the Kaiser Permanente national legal department, he oversaw the nation's largest private arbitration system, guided the organization through high-stakes litigation, and played a central role in major legal and strategic initiatives.
"As the General Counsel of a $90 billion corporation, I gained a unique perspective that combined high level business insight with legal expertise and ethics, allowing me to approach disputes with fairness, creativity, and strategic thinking," said Mr. Zemelman. "Now, as a mediator and arbitrator, this blend of experience makes me well-suited to work with Signature Resolution, helping clients achieve thoughtful, effective resolutions."
For over 30 years, Mr. Zemelman worked for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (dba Kaiser Permanente), ultimately rising to the role of Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In this role, Mr. Zemelman managed the national legal department and was directly involved in addressing large legal issues, including high-stakes litigation. He led Kaiser Permanente's national legal department through transformative challenges such as navigating the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, major in-house labor disputes, and precedent-setting litigation, all while modernizing the company's legal operations and building one of the most diverse corporate legal teams in the country.
Beginning his career in San Francisco, Mr. Zemelman initially practiced environmental law and civil rights litigation at leading firms including Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen. Known during this time for his rigorous legal analysis, Mr. Zemelman additionally co-authored treatises on environmental law while regularly teaching at University of California, Berkeley before transitioning to his role at Kaiser Permanente's national legal department in 1991, where he spent the remainder of his law career.
Since leaving Kaiser Permanente's national legal department in 2023, Mr. Zemelman has focused on his neutral practice. He served as an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association's healthcare panel and taught healthcare law at local universities nearby. He is a prolific author and speaker on healthcare law, corporate legal operations, and diversity in the legal profession, co-authoring Extending Justice: Strategies to Increase Inclusion and Reduce Bias in 2022.
"Mark's career is nothing short of remarkable," said Dario Higuchi, Chief Executive Officer of Signature Resolution. "As the longtime General Counsel of Kaiser Permanente's national legal department, he built and led one of the country's most sophisticated legal operations and gained unparalleled insight into complex dispute resolution. That combination of subject-matter expertise and leadership is rare, and we're excited to see him bring his knowledge to our clients and colleagues with Signature Resolution."
Mr. Zemelman earned his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of the Law), magna cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
To learn more about Mark Zemelman, please visit signatureresolution.com.
About Signature Resolution
Founded in 2017 in the heart of Los Angeles, Signature Resolution comprises a panel of distinguished neutrals hailing from diverse backgrounds, including respected judges and trial attorneys specializing in virtually every civil practice area. The founding partners inaugurated the organization with a vision of providing the highest level of service and convenience for attorneys and their clients. Signature Resolution's panelists offer unrivaled expertise and commitment to resolve even the most challenging legal matters. In addition to the Los Angeles location, Signature Resolution also has offices in Bakersfield, Century City, Oakland, Santa Clara, San Diego, and San Francisco. For more information about the firm's mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution services, visit signatureresolution.com.
Media Contact
Media Team, Signature Resolution, 1 (213) 622-1002, [email protected], https://signatureresolution.com
SOURCE Signature Resolution
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