Reed Smith attorney Mark Fidanza on May 4 received the prestigious MVP award from Philadelphia VIP, in recognition of his pro bono representation of the organization’s clients in landlord/tenant and negligence cases over the past two years.
Since 2021, Fidanza has carried the heaviest caseload at the nonprofit, based on a weighted metric that takes case complexity and difficulty into account. In that period, he has handled a dozen cases, often using them as an opportunity to work with and mentor junior attorneys as well.
“I am humbled to be selected for this honor,” said Fidanza. “Volunteering with VIP is one of the best parts of my job. It is a privilege to help Philadelphians navigate our confusing legal system during some of the most difficult times in their lives, and to see the relief on their faces when we reach the finish line.”
Fidanza represents tenants on eviction matters in Philadelphia Municipal Court and after resolving those disputes to the satisfaction of his clients, in some cases, he will then lodge a counterclaim in the Court of Common Pleas to hold the landlord accountable. He has achieved significant and positive outcomes in each of his cases, including settlement awards for clients of up to $76,000. He even obtained a preliminary injunction mandating a landlord to pay for a client’s hotel stay until a rat infestation was cured to the satisfaction of the court.
Fidanza also earned similar successful outcomes in negligence matters, in each case defending or obtaining a dismissal of charges against his clients without any payments required.
“We congratulate Mark for this well-deserved recognition,” said Wayne C. Stansfield, Reed Smith’s Philadelphia managing partner. “He is a talented, dedicated litigator as well as a much-respected and in-demand mentor and role model. His results on behalf of our city’s most vulnerable are consistently outstanding. He has made a real and lasting difference in the lives of many individuals and families.”
A former high school chemistry and physics teacher before completing his law degree at Rutgers School of Law, Fidanza joined Reed Smith’s Global Commercial Disputes Group in September 2015. His practice focuses on complex litigation matters across a range of areas, including insurance coverage, financial services, contract disputes, business and mass torts, deceptive trade practices/unfair competition, and injunctive relief.
Philadelphia VIP provides pro bono legal services to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits with civil legal issues in the areas of preventing homelessness, preserving income, supporting family stability, and promoting community economic development.
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