People

Mark Little
J. Mark Little
Special Counsel

Overview

Mark Little focuses his practice on complex legal and regulatory challenges. He has significant experience protecting clients’ interests through challenges to national, state, and local regulations. Most recently, Mark has been at the forefront of the legal challenges against state and local governments’ attempts to ban natural gas in new and existing buildings.

Mark also represents clients in a broad range of appeals and original proceedings in federal and state courts across the country. He has argued a number of cases in courts ranging from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to the Texas and Washington Supreme Courts.

Mark is the Chair-Elect of the Houston Bar Association's Appellate Section and Editor-in-Chief of the Appellate Lawyer, the Section's Journal. He received his law degree from The University of Texas, where he graduated first in his class, was on the editorial board of the Texas Law Review, and received awards in trial advocacy and moot court competitions.

Before joining Baker Botts, Mark served as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and D.C. Circuits
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado

Education

  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law 2010
    highest honors
    Grand Chancellor (first in class)
    Order of the Coif
    Articles Editor, Texas Law Review
    Teaching Quizmaster (teaching assistant for legal writing program)
    Duberstein Moot Court Competition Finalist and Best Brief
    Gardere Mock Trial Competition Champion
  • B.S., Psychology, Texas A&M University 2007
    summa cum laude
    Phi Beta Kappa

April 2025 Speeches & Presentations Gas Ban Litigation
February 2025 Speeches & Presentations Supreme Court and Appellate Update
Speeches & Presentations An analysis of Texas law on deducting post-production costs from royalties: Did BlueStone move the needle? 

Awards and Community

Chair-Elect, Appellate Section, Houston Bar Association

Editor-in-Chief of the Appellate Lawyer, the Houston Bar Association Appellate Section's Journal

Texas Super Lawyer-Rising Star (Thomson Reuters), 2015-2024

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Appellate Practice, 2025