Mark Evans was born and raised in the City of Welland. He attended and graduated from Welland High School. He then attended three years at McMaster University in a double Honours program in English and Classical Civilizations before leaving in 1985 to attend Law School at University of Ottawa.
At University of Ottawa he concentrated heavily in Criminal Law classes and was a member of the Student Legal Aid Society and a member of the law school soccer team. He graduated from law school in 1988 and then articled with the Niagara Region’s best criminal defence lawyer, Peter Kormos. In 1990 he was called to the Ontario Bar and became a partner with Peter Kormos in the newly formed Kormos & Evans Law Office. Peter Kormos entered politics and became the local member of the Provincial Legislature.
When Peter Kormos became a cabinet minister in 1992 Mark Evans took over the practice as a sole practitioner. Mark Evans has continued to practice criminal defence law for over 25 years. He has defended thousands of people on cases in all levels of court in the province.