Laura Burson is an intellectual property litigator and trial lawyer with a broad range of experience representing technology companies in patent, trade secrets, and other commercial litigation. This experience includes extensive trial and appellate experience in US District Courts, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and in post-grant matters before the USPTO.
Laura is also active in pro bono matters and has served as a volunteer prosecutor in criminal jury trials.
Laura’s community involvement additionally includes serving as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School where she taught an advanced course on intellectual property litigation. She is currently Chair and an Executive Committee member of the USC Gould School of Law IP Institute. She previously served as President of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA), where she was an officer and a board member for nearly 10 years. She is a founding member of the Los Angeles Chapter of ChIPs. And she is a Chief Member, a private network that connects and supports women executives who are paving the way for more diversity in leadership.
- Co-lead trial counsel for plaintiff, a global provider of security systems products and solutions, in patent infringement trials involving a method for enhanced airport security screening; infringement found and damages awarded; all patent claims upheld as valid (Ct. Fed. Cl.)
- Counsel for plaintiff, an online lending marketplace, pursing patent infringement claims, and defending antitrust counterclaims, involving mortgage lending platform; led trial on damages and antitrust issues; obtained directed verdict on antitrust claims at trial (W.D.N.C.)
- Defended medical device company through trial in a patent infringement case involving hearing implants (C.D. Cal.)
- Defended multinational conglomerate through trial in a patent infringement case involving chemical manufacturing processes; verdict of invalidity upheld on appeal (D.Del.; Fed. Cir.)
- Counsel for plaintiff, a medical device company, through trial in patent infringement case involving contrast media devices; case settled during closing arguments (E.D. Tex.)
- Counsel for plaintiff, an American video game publisher, in confidential arbitration involving patent and copyright infringement claims relating to a popular videogame
- Lead counsel for pharmaceutical company in opposing inter partes review; all claims upheld (USPTO)
- Coordinated defense of international technology conglomerate in extensive US and international patent litigation for more than ten years involving, among other things, claims to refrigerants and related chemicals (USPTO; Fed. Cir.)
- Counsel for semiconductor company in litigation involving standard essential patents (SEP) and HDMI technology (N.D. Cal.)]
- Lead counsel for medical imaging company in copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of contract case involving medical software technology (C.D. Cal.)
- Lead counsel for pharmaceutical company in trade secret misappropriation case involving prenatal supplements (D.N.J.)
- Represented leading consumer electronics company in multidistrict patent litigation involving digital media players (N.D. Cal., W.D. Wis., E.D. Tex., ITC)
- Represented medical device company in a patent infringement suit involving multiple patents covering spinal transplant technology (S.D. Cal.)
- Represented a multi-sector manufacturer of medical in patent infringement and false advertising case involving light-activated polymeric adhesives (C.D. Cal.)
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
- Texas
- Virginia
Court Admissions
- US Supreme Court
- US District Court, Northern, Southern, and Central Districts of California
- Eastern District of Texas
- District of Colorado
- US Court of Appeals, Federal and Ninth Circuits and Veteran Claims
Education
- Loyola Law School, JD, 1999; Managing Editor, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review
- University of California, Irvine, M.S., Biological Chemistry, 1994
- Hendrix College, B.A., Chemistry
Honors & Awards
- Named a "Litigation Star" in Intellectual Property by Benchmark Litigation (2024)
- “Top IP Lawyers,” Daily Journal (2022)
- “Litigator of the Week,” The American Lawyer (2021)
- “Intellectual Property Trailblazer,” The National Law Journal (2018)
- “Top Women Lawyers,” Daily Journal (2016-2018)
- “Women Leaders in Tech Law,” The Recorder (2015)
- Recognized as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” in Intellectual Property Litigation, as published in Los Angeles Magazine (2018-2023)
- Recognized by Best Lawyers® (2019-2022)
Professional Activities
Author
- “Defending Against Nonperformance of Life Science Contracts,” Law360 (April 21, 2020)
- The Intellectual Property Handbook (Patent Chapter), American Bar Association (2016)
- “A.C. Aukerman and the Federal Circuit: What is the Standard of Review for a Summary Judgment Ruling on Laches or Equitable Estoppel?” 32 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 799 (April 1999)
Member
- USC Gould School of Law IP Institute, Chair (2022 to present) and Executive Committee Member (2017 to present)
- Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA), President (2018-2019), Officer and Board Member (2011-2020)
- ChIPs, Founding Member, Los Angeles Chapter
- Chief Member (2023)
- Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Golf League
- American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Division
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
Adjunct Professor
- Intellectual Property Litigation, Loyola Law School (2018 and 2019)