Paul E. Burns is a nationally-recognized attorney, arbitrator and mediator who has over 25 years of legal experience, 17+ years of which were in AMLAW 200 firms. His legal experience includes Litigation, Transactions and Counseling in Intellectual Property, Technology, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Entertainment/Digital Media, Internet/E-Commerce/Data Privacy, Commercial Contracts, Business Entities, Creditor’s Rights/Bankruptcy, Electronic Discovery, and Arbitration Law. He has been honored with inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for 17 years in a row, being named Lawyer of the Year in 2022 and 2023, an AV Pre-eminent rating for over 20 years, and appointments as (i) Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators and the American Bar Association; (ii) Arbitrator/Mediator by the American Arbitration Association, CPR, the International Trademark Association (INTA), the Silicon Valley Tech List, and AIPLA; (iii) AIPLA Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Chair, (iv) Federal Bar Association Chapter President and Board Member, (v) Copyright Society of the USA Chapter Chair, (vi) Licensing Executives Society Chapter Chair, (vii) Director of The Sedona Conference, and (viii) Adjunct Professor of Law at two top ranked law schools. Mr. Burns is admitted to practice in California, Arizona, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He received his B.S. and J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston College.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Best Lawyers in America® 2007-2024.
- Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, 2022-2023
- Martindale Hubbell AV® Rating for 20 years + 2018-2023.
- Top Attorneys of Southern California, Los Angeles Times.
- Top Rated Lawyers, San Francisco Chronicle.
- Top Lawyers, San Diego Magazine.
- West Coast Top-Rated Lawyers, ALM.
- Top Rated Lawyers, The Arizona Republic.
- Super Lawyers.
- Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators, an invitation-only organization comprised of nationally and internationally recognized commercial arbitrators.
- Fellow, American Bar Association.
- Member of the Large, Complex Case Advisory Committee, American Arbitration Association.
- Member of the Entertainment Law Advisory Council, American Arbitration Association.
- Mediator and Arbitrator Panelist, American Arbitration Association.
- Mediator and Arbitrator Panelist, International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).
- Mediator and Arbitrator Panelist, Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR).
- Member of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center’s Tech List comprised of less than 100 of the most well-respected technology arbitrators and mediators in the U.S.
- Member of the Panel of Mediators of the International Trademark Association.
- Member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association List of Arbitrators and Mediators.
- Speaker at one or more conferences and/or meetings of the following organizations:
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Association of Corporate Counsel
- American Bar Association
- American Arbitration Association
- Federal Bar Association
- The Sedona Conference
- The Copyright Society of USA
- Licensing Executives Society of the USA and Canada
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Beverly Hills Bar Association
- San Diego County Bar Association
- San Diego Comic-Con International
- State Bar of Arizona
- National Business Institute Law of the Internet
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
- Member, Board of Directors, and E-Discovery, Data Security and Privacy, Patent Litigation, and Trade Secret Working Groups, The Sedona Conference.
- Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
- Chapter Board Member and Past President, Federal Bar Association.
- Chapter Chair and Co-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Licensing Executives Society of the USA and Canada.
- Past Chapter Chair, Copyright Society of the USA.
- Chair, State Bar of Arizona Intellectual Property Section.
- President/CEO Arizona Internet & E-Commerce Association.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
College of Commercial Arbitrators (Fellow), California Dispute Resolution Council (Board Member); Federal Bar Association (Chapter Board Member and Past President); The Sedona Conference (Board Member and Member, E- Discovery Working Group, Patent Litigation Working Group, Data Security and Privacy Liability Working Group, Trade Secrets Working Group); American Bar Association (Fellow and Member of several sections); State Bar of California (Member of several sections); Licensing Executives Society (Chapter Chair); American Intellectual Property Law Association (Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee); Copyright Society of the USA (Past Chapter Chair); International Trademark Association (Panel of Trademark Mediators); State Bar of Arizona (Past Chair, Intellectual Property Law Section and member of several sections); Los Angeles County Bar Association (member of several sections); Beverly Hills Bar Association (member Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property, Internet and New Media sections).
BAR ADMISSIONS
- California
- Arizona
- Texas
- New York
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- U.S. District Courts for the Central District, Southern District and Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern District, Southern District, Western District and Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Ninth, and Federal Circuits
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office