The "National Law Journal" listed him among the Top Ten Trial Lawyers in America.
In 1988, he was awarded the San Francisco City and County Certificate of Honor by the Board of Supervisors in recognition of his achievement as a national trial lawyer and his work in behalf of the homeless.
He entered the world of fiction in 1988 with the courtroom thriller Partners and followed that in 1995 with Conflicts of Interest.
All of his novels, including The Alternate and Billy Strobe have been either regional or New York Times bestsellers.
A former college athlete, Martel won the 100 meter hurdles in the U.S. National Masters Track and Field Championships in 1997, running the fastest time in the world for his age group.