Past Presidents
Mark D Mason
2006 - 2007
Firm: Principal of Cooley, Shrair of Springfield.
Education: B.A., Columbia College, 1980; J.D., Boston University Law School, 1984.
Legal Career: Principle in firm's litigation department, where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation and domestic law; and admitted to the state courts of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Courts of Massachusetts and Connecticut as well as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Massachusetts.
MBA Service: Vice President, 2003-2004; Secretary, 2002-2003; Treasurer, 2003-4; former chair of New Lawyers Section Council and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee; former secretary, Judicial Administration Section Council; current chair, Same Gender Marriage Task Force; co-chair, Anniversary Fee Task Force; and has served seven years on the MBA House of Delegates and Board of Delegates and six years on the Executive Management Board and Executive Committee.
Additional Service: Former Big Brother and Mentor; Community Music School of Springfield board member; March of Dimes of Western Massachusetts past president and board member; co-founder and past president of the Gay & Lesbian Civic Association of Greater Springfield; City of Springfield Cultural Council past chair and councilor; former member of the Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution; coordinator of the Hampden County Probate and Family Court Volunteer Mediator Program; and recipient of the 2001 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year Award.
Additional information: Lives in Springfield.
Warren Fitzgerald
2005 - 2006
Firm: Fitzgerald Law Firm LLC; Fitzgerald Dispute Resolution LLC, Boston.
Education: B.A., Boston University; J.D., Boston University Law School.
Legal Career: Fitzgerald is the founding manager of Fitzgerald Law Firm and Fitzgerald Dispute Resolution. Prior to that, he was a partner with Meehan, Boyle, Black & Fitzgerald, and an associate with Parker, Coulter, Daley & White and with Hutchins and Wheeler. In addition to his MBA activities, Fitzgerald is a past president of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, a member of the American Association for Justice and the American, Boston, Women's and Essex County bar associations.
MBA Service: Fitzgerald has served as treasurer and vice president of the association and chairperson of its Civil Litigation Section. He has been a member of the Executive Management Board, the Budget and Finance Committee and the House of Delegates for many years and is a former chair of the Court Reform Task Force and co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on the Preservation of Rights, Liberties and Access to Justice. He is presently chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
Additional information: Fitzgerald lives in Andover.
Kathleen O'Donnell
2004 - 2005
Firm: Marcotte Law Firm, Lowell.
Education: B.A., Wheaton College, 1977; J.D., Suffolk University Law School, 1980.
Legal Career: O'Donnell is an expert in auto insurance. She concentrates her practice in civil trial work, but also specializes in workers’ compensation, criminal, probate and domestic law. A former instructor of legal practice skills at Suffolk University Law School (1980-82), she has lecture frequently on auto insurance issues at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
MBA Service: O’Donnell has held every position as an Officer of the Massachusetts Bar Association. In addition, she had served on the MBA’s Presidential Task Force on the Preservation of Rights, Liberties and Access to Justice (co-chair, 2001-2004); Budget and Finance Committee (chair, 2002-2003); Amicus Committee (chair, 2001-2002) and Civil Litigation Section Council (chair, 2000-2001). She currently serves on the MBA's House of Delegates.
Additional service: She has been involved with a number of other major legal organizations, including the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (president, 1995-1996); Association of Trial Lawyers of America (member since 1995; State Affairs Committee co-chair 1998-2004); American Board of Trial Advocates (first woman elected to Massachusetts Chapter); Greater Lowell Bar Association (president, 1990-1991; director, GLBA Conciliation Program, 1989-1996); Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (vice president, 2002-2003; member, Board of Directors, 1998-present). In addition to her legal activities, O’Donnell has been involved in community service, including the Sohier Park Committee, York, Maine (chair, 1992-1993); Greater Lowell Rape Crisis Services (member, Board of Directors, 1990-1994); as well as several other Great Lowell organizations.
Additional information: O'Donnell lives in Lowell.