Laura M. Burson

Laura Burson is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles office.

Areas of Practice

Laura focuses on intellectual property litigation with an emphasis on patent law. She is a registered patent attorney, admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Laura represents clients in all phases of litigation, including trials, arbitrations and appeals involving intellectual property and technology-related matters. Her clients come from technology areas such as medical devices, chemicals and chemical processes, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and computers. She is particularly experienced in trial matters, including representing clients in inter partes review and reexamination before the USPTO.

Laura is a mentor and thought leader, serving as both an officer and board member of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA), as well as serving in other legal organizations, such as University of Southern California’s IP Institute. She is a co-founding chairperson of LAIPLA’s Women-In-IP committee. She is also active in pro bono matters and has served as a volunteer prosecutor in criminal jury trials.

Clerkships

•Externed with the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Honors

•Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2019-2020
•Intellectual Property Trailblazer, The National Law Journal, 2018
•Southern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2018-2020
•Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2016
•Women Leaders in Tech Law, The Recorder, 2015

Insights

Articles

•Suing for Patent Infringement if the Government Takes Your Intellectual Property During the COVID-19 Pandemic
IPWatchdog, 04.24.2020
•Defending Against Nonperformance Of Life Science Contracts
Law360, 04.21.2020
• A.C. Aukerman and the Federal Circuit: What is the Standard of Review for a Summary Judgment Ruling on Laches or Equitable Estoppel? Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Vol. 32, No. 3, April 1999

Books

•The Intellectual Property Handbook
2016

Media Mentions

•TSA Loses Patent Suit Over Airport Security Trays
Law360, 10.31.2016
•DC Circuit Awards Attorneys’ Fees to SecurityPoint for Illegal and Improper Unilateral Decisions by the Transportation Security Administration
Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, 09.08.2016
•Top Women Lawyers
Daily Journal, 04.20.2016
•Top Verdicts: Alfred E. Mann Foundation et al. v. Cochlear Corp. et al
Daily Journal, 02.17.2016
•Women Leaders in Tech Law: Laura Burson, Sheppard Mullin
The Recorder, 09.25.2015

Events

•Project General Counsel Workshop
Sheppard Mullin - Los Angeles, 11.14.2019

•Ethics and Eggs: A Breakfast Roundtable to Discuss Ethics Issues in IP Matters
Sheppard Mullin, 10.22.2019