Biography
Mark Rankin concentrates his practice in the area of white collar criminal defense and has represented doctors, pharmacists, realtors, accountants, business owners, other professional individuals, and business entities at all stages of the criminal justice process, including re: subpoenas, state and federal grand jury investigations, trial, and appeal.
Mr. Rankin primarily represents clients in a wide range of criminal matters, including Medicare and medical fraud, mortgage fraud, accounting fraud, health care investigations, money laundering, regulatory enforcement, SEC investigations, and internal investigations. Mr. Rankin has also handled hundreds of federal and state criminal cases involving narcotics, firearms, immigration, counterfeiting, RICO, DUI, and other areas of the state and federal criminal codes.
As a former Assistant Federal Public Defender, Mr. Rankin served as trial and appellate counsel to criminal defendants charged in a wide range of cases including fraud offenses, drug offenses, immigration matters, and firearms offenses.
He has successfully argued cases in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Mr. Rankin's community involvement includes:
-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Society's SunScreen Film Festival, Board of Directors (2006)
-Board of Directors, PARC (Pinellas Association for Retarded Children) (2009-2011)
-Northeast Park Neighborhood Association Board of Directors (2009-2011) Chair, Safe Streets Committee
Education
- University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia
- J.D. - 1999
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
- B.S. - 1996
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Major: Criminal Justice
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 1999
- Colorado, 2023
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
- Supreme Court of the United States of America
Classes & Seminars
- Panelist, "Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Civil and Criminal Damages," ABA 20th Annual National Institute on Health Care Fraud, Miami, FL, 05/14/2010
- Panelist, “Orange Jumpsuits Aren’t Flattering: The Expanding Threat of Criminal Liability for Lawyers,” 2009 Aon Large Law Firm Symposium, San Francisco, CA, 10/15/2009
- Moderator, “Chapter Three Adjustments,” 18th Annual Federal Sentencing Guidelines Seminar, Tampa, FL, 05/21/2009 to 05/21/2009
- Panelist, “Avoiding Jail, Disbarment and Other Bad Consequences: What You Need to Know About Real Estate Collateral,” ABA Real Estate Financing Subcommittee, ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, 2008
- Panelist, “Grouping and Firearms Offenses,” National Seminar on Federal Sentencing Guidelines, 2004
- Panelist, “Grouping and Firearms Offenses,” National Seminar on Federal Sentencing Guidelines, 2006
- Moderator, “Privileged Communications: What’s Protected Under Federal and Florida Rules of Evidence,” CLE, Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers and Federal Bar Association, Tampa, FL, 02/28/2019
- Instructor, White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson College of Law, 2012 to Present
- Trial Advocacy, Stetson College of Law, 2006 to 2010
- Sixth Amendment Consitutional Law, University of Tampa, 2006 to 2006
Professional Associations
- National Seminar on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Chair, 2012 to 2015
- Criminal Justice Act Panel, Middle District of Florida, Member, 2006 to Present
- The Florida Bar Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, Member, 2006 to 2009
- Herbert G. Goldburg-Ronald K. Cacciatore Criminal Law American Inn of Court, Member, 2003 to 2016
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member, 2003 to Present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Board of Directors, 2007 to 2009
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, White Collar Crime Committee
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Co-Chair, Sentencing Committee, 2009 to 2013
- Federal Bar Association, Member, 2003 to Present
- Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2006 to 2009
- Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2017 to Present
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Chair of Criminal Law Section, 2007 to Present
- Champion magazine, Advisory Board, 2007 to Present
- Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2011 to 2015
- Federal Bar Association, Chair, Criminal and Government Investigations Practice Committee, 2017 to Present
- Federal Bar Association, Qui Tam Section, 2016 to Present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member and Board Member, 2004 to Present
- Federal Bar Association, Member and Board Member, 2004 to Present
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member, 2022 to Present
Pro-Bono Activities
- Best Buddies Tampa Bay, Advisory Board, 2019 to Present
- 2014 Class of Leadership St. Pete
- Northeast Park Neighborhood Association, Board of Directors (2009-2011) Chair, Safe Streets Committee
- Board of Directors, PARC (Pinellas Association for Retarded Children), 2009 to 2011
- St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Society’s SunScreen Film Festival, Board of Directors, 2006
Practice Areas
- Criminal Defense 100%
Honors
- Received ABA's Litigation Section Outstanding Service Award
- Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up & Comer
- Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up & Comer, named in Criminal Law
- Selected by Florida Super Lawyers as a Florida Rising Star
- Selected by Florida Super Lawyers as a Super Lawyer
- Selected by Florida Super Lawyers as a Super Lawyer
- Selected for Best Lawyers in America, Criminal Defense, White-Collar
- Selected for Best Lawyers in America, Criminal Defense, General Practice
- Selected for Best Lawyers in America, Criminal Defense: White Collar and Non-White Collar
- Recipient, Marcelino “Bubba” Huerta III Award for Professionalism and Pro Bono Service, 2019
- Marcelino Huerta Award for Professionalism and Pro Bono Service
Published Works
- Surprise, Surprise: Is Proper Notice Still Required for an Above-Guidelines Sentence in Federal Court?, The Champion, 2007
- Something Funny Happened On The Way To Discretionary Sentencing: Why A Presumption Of Reasonableness Violates The Holding of Booker, Committee on Criminal Litigation, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, Winter 2007
- Traps for the Unwary: Cross References and Guideline Sentencing, The Champion, September/October, 2006
- Substantial Assistance - The Key to Freedom: Representing a Cooperating Defendant in Federal Court, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2007
- Evidence Law Trumps the Fifth Amendment - Florida Rule of Evidence 806, HCBA Lawyer, 2008
- Co-Author, "Nobody Looks Good in Orange: Keeping Your Client and Yourself Out of Prison,", Business Law Today, at 43, November/December, 2008
- "Informal Opinion: The Post-Booker World: Does the Ex Post Facto Clause Still Apply at Sentencing?", The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) at 59, October, 2008
- "Informal Opinion: Irizarry v. United States,", The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) at 55, September, 2008
- "Informal Opinion: Watson v. United States The Supreme Court Limits the "Use", Prong Of Section 924(c)," The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) at 51, March, 2008
- "Evidence Law Trumps the Fifth Amendment - Florida Rule of Evidence 806, HCBA Lawyer at 20, February, 2008
- Co-Author with Rachel R. May, "Substantial Assistance - The Key to Freedom: Representing a Cooperating Defendant in Federal Court,", The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) at 12, July, 2007
- "Surprise, Surprise: Is Proper Notice Still Required for an Above-Guidelines Sentence in Federal Court?", The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers), March, 2007
- Co-Author with Laura Whitmore Paquin, "Something Funny Happened On The Way To Discretionary Sentencing: Why A Presumption Of Reasonableness Violates The Holding of Booker,", Committee on Criminal Litigation, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, Vol. 6, No. 2, Winter, 2007
- Co-Author with Rachel R. May, "Traps for the Unwary: Cross References and Guideline Sentencing,", The Champion (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) at 52, September/October, 2006
- Co-Author, "Parole’s Essential Role in Bailing out Our Nation’s Criminal Justice Systems," , The Champion, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, January, 2009
- Rule 35(b) Meets Section 3553(a) – What Can a Federal Court Consider?, The Champion, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at 61, September/October, 2009
- Pardon Me: Jury Nullification in Florida and the Eleventh Circuit, HCBA Lawyer at 22, September, 2009
- Crawford Extended: United States and Supreme Courts Expand Confrontation Clause Protections, St. Petersburg Bar Association, 2009
- Padilla: Supreme Court Requires Defense Counsel to Advise on Deportation, HCBA Lawyer, June, 2010
- Supreme Court Examines Effect of Invocation of Counsel, HCBA Lawyer at 22, December, 2009
- E Original: The Best Evidence Rule in Florida, HCBA Lawyer at 20, October, 2009
- Co-Author, “Grid & Bear It. Let the Seller Beware: Sentencing Entrapment and Manipulation in Federal Court”, The Champion, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at 41, August, 2010
- It’s Time to Rethink America’s Rate of Incarceration, The Tampa Tribune, April, 2013
- U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Important Traffic Stop Case, HCBA Lawyer Magazine, December, 2013
Past Positions
- Federal Public Defender's Office, Tampa, Florida, Assistant Federal Public Defender, 2003 to 2006
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, L.L.P., Wilmington, Delaware, Corporate Litigation Associate, 2001 to 2003
- United States District Judge Kenneth Ryskamp, Southern District of Florida, Law Clerk, 2000 to 2001
- United States Magistrate Judge Ann Vitunac, Southern District of Florida, Law Clerk, 1999 to 2000
- University of Tampa, Adjunct Professor, 2004
- Stetson University College of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law, 2004 to 2009
- ABA Criminal Litigation Newsletter, Editor-in-Chief, 2007 to 2009
- Carlton Fields, Partner, 2006 to 2010
- Shutts & Bowen LLP, Partner, 2010 to 2019
Languages
- English
Current Employment Position
- Owner