Mr. Burton is the Managing Shareholder of the Firm. In his practice, he is a trial lawyer who focuses on helping clients strategize and resolve patent, trademark and trade secret disputes, including by taking cases to trial. He is known in courts across the country as a creative, trusted and highly successful advocate, with a remarkable streak of major litigations wins, including multiple ‘rare’ preliminary injunctions in hotly-contested patent infringement cases. He is also frequently called upon to mediate or arbitrate difficult patent and other intellectual property disputes.
Mr. Burton has been honored for many years in Best Lawyers of America, Chambers USA and SuperLawyers, including as one of the Top 100 lawyers in all of the Mountain States, and as Intellectual Property Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” for 2015 in Salt Lake City. Mr. Burton is President-elect of the Utah State Bar, the governing body for all Utah attorneys. He also serves as a member of the Local Rules Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
Professional Recognition
– Best Lawyers in America 2007-2017
– Best Lawyers SLC Trade Secrets — 2017
– Best Lawyers SLC Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer of the Year – 2015
– Best Lawyers SLC Copyright Law — 2014
– Best Lawyers SLC Information Technology Lawyer of the Year – 2013
– Chambers 2011-2017
– iAM Patent 1000 (Patent Litigation) – 2012-2017
– IP Stars – 2013-2017
– Martindale Hubbell (AV Rated) – Since 1998
– Super Lawyers – 2007-2017
– Super Lawyers Mountain States Top 75 – 2011
– Super Lawyers Mountain States Top 100 – 2012-2015, 2017
Areas of Special Expertise
– Chemical, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and NutritionalsConstruction, Mechanical and Manufacturing Equipment and Systems
– Expert witness services in intellectual property disputes
– Information Technology, Computers and Software
– Litigation and enforcement of intellectual property in various technical areas
– Mediation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
– Sports equipment
Education
– Brigham Young University, B.A., magna cum laude
– (Presidential Scholar)
– Brigham Young University Law School, J.D.
Bar Admissions
– Utah Bar
– District of Columbia Bar
– U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Recent Representative Cases
– Catheter Connections v. Ivera Medical/3M – Medical Device patent dispute hotly contested over several years in multiple states. Obtained two preliminary injunctions on three different patents, as well as a contempt order for opponent’s violation of one of the injunctions, leading to a favorable settlement.
– Won-Door Corporation v. Cornell Iron Works – Patent infringement case involving movable partitions. Obtained a preliminary injunction after extensive briefing and two court hearings, leading to a consent judgment and permanent injunction against Cornell.
– Storm Products v. Ebonite – Defended patent infringement case involving bowling balls. Obtained Court Order invalidating Ebonite patent. Affirmed on appeal.
– SME Steel Contractors v. Star Seismic – Obtained dismissal of patent infringement case relating to seismic braces used in steel frame construction, affirmed on appeal; subsequently defended related claims of breach of license agreement, fraud and tortious interference to trial, obtaining a judgment dismissing all claims and awarding attorneys’ fees of nearly $1 million.
– Choice Hotels v. JMS Lodging – Trademark infringement case – obtained judgment and permanent injunction.
– Etagz v. TV Guide Magazine – Defended TV Guide in patent infringement case; settled favorably on the eve of summary judgment hearing.
Languages
– Spanish
