Michael Kerry Burke
Background
Professional Experience
- The Burke Law Firm
- Kinsella Boesch Fujikawa & Towle (prestigious boutique litigation firm)
- Morrison & Foerster (top 10 international law firm)
- United States Courts, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and US District Court (CD Cal)
- RAND Corporation (policy and research analyst at nationally known think tank)
- AV-rated (top 10 percent of lawyers nationwide)
Education
- UCLA School of Law
- UCLA Law Review (prestigious journal of scholarly legal articles)
- Roscoe Pound Moot Court Honors Society (oral argument competition)
- Teaching Assistant, Legal Writing and Research
- Research Assistant (Prof. Steven Shiffrin, Constitutional law)
- Greenberg Scholar
Relevant Litigation
- Tried numerous cases for State Farm Insurance in nation's largest employment discrimination class actions
- Defended Northrop Grumman in contract dispute with the Royal Canadian Air Force
- Handled extensive nationwide litigation involving Girls Gone Wild
- Successfully managed numerous class actions to favorable client outcomes
- Represented an international cosmetics company and a freight forwarder in price-fixing antitrust actions
- Negotiated white collar plea agreements with the US Department of Justice and with States Attorneys General
- Handle law firm dissolutions and partnership disputes for numerous Los Angeles law firms, as well as business partnership and shareholder disputes
- Represented child actor in suit against his parents for mismanagement of assets
- Represented bondholders in Charles Keating/Lincoln Savings & Loan securities fraud cases
- Represent commercial art dealers in greymarket copyright disputes
- Prevailed in constitutional cases challenging retroactive tax law changes and to impose constitutional limits on punitive damages
- Represent broad range of clients in employment, unfair competition and commercial litigation matters
- Represent media broadcasters and corporate entities in free speech, court access and defamation cases
Business Matters
- Negotiate supply chain, vendor and distribution agreements
- Negotiate acquisition terms of business entities
- Conduct due diligence for corporate acquisitions
- Negotiate real estate acquisitions and commercial lease agreements
- Advise medical professionals and surgical centers (represented the plastic surgeons on ABC's "Extreme Makeover")
- Represented equity partners in large marina resort development
- Represent large national hotel operator in real estate acquisitions
- Negotiated with World Bank for financing of hotels in Haiti
- Negotiate technology transfer licenses with Sandia National Laboratory
- Represented solar power company in acquisition of utility level solar power projects
- Represent entertainment production companies in corporate and content acquisition matters
General Counsel Experience
- General Counsel for companies in food manufacturing and distribution, media and entertainment, health and beauty products, and real estate development
- Outside general counsel for entertainment content producers, defense industry technology licensing, alternative energy production, educational enterprises, biotechnology and real estate development