Mr. Burroughs was selected as a California Rising Star for the years 2015-2019 by Los Angeles Magazine and Super Lawyers. Since transitioning to oversee the firm’s New York office, he has been selected as a New York Super Lawyer for the years 2021-2023. He has handled over a thousand art and business law disputes involving fashion, art, photography, scripted and reality programming, music, accessories, literature, documentary and feature films, websites, advertising, novelty goods, jewelry, hospitality, and home décor.

In 2022 alone, he prevailed before the Supreme Court of the United States in an important art and copyright case, obtained a ruling in New York affirming the rights of artists who use Instagram to market their work, and obtained a ruling in California that clarified the contours of the “fair use” defense and strengthened artists’ rights.

Over the course of his career he has obtained numerous six and seven-figure results for his clients, and a number of the top copyright jury verdicts in Los Angeles, including the following:

• Unicolors, Inc. v. Urban Outfitters, Inc. ($531,000.00)
• Novelty Textiles, Inc. v. The Wet Seal, Inc., ($650,000.00)
• United Fabrics International v. Lane Bryant, Inc., ($447,670.60)

Mr. Burroughs has also argued successfully before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, creating new law on important, cutting-edge copyright issues, including the following:

• Unicolors, Inc. v. Urban Outfitters, Inc. (No. 15-55507) (published opinion) (Defended summary judgment victory and jury verdict on appeal in copyright case. Appellate Court affirmed in full, clarifying important copyright law issues regarding access, substantial similarity, and registration).

• L.A. Printex Industries, Inc. v. Aeropostale, Inc., (No. 10-56187) (published opinion) (Full reversal of a district court decision awarding more than $400,000.00 against the firm’s client, after which the client prevailed at the liability stage of a bifurcated jury trial and the case settled for a low seven-figure sum the night before the damages stage was set to begin).

• United Fabrics Int’l, Inc. v. C&J Wear, Inc., (No. 09-56499) (published opinion) (Full reversal of a district court ruling against the firm’s client, after which summary judgment was entered in favor of the firm’s client).

Mr. Burroughs is passionate about protecting the rights of artists and content creators, and writes and speaks often on the subject. He has lectured for California Lawyers for the Arts, the Fashion Business Institute, the Loyola Law School Fashion Symposium, and the University of Southern California Law School, and written articles for the Daily Journal, Bloomberg News, and others. He also taught Fashion Law at the Art Institute of California, and writes a copyright law column for leading legal website Above the Law: https://abovethelaw.com/author/scottalanburroughs/

Mr. Burroughs is a member of the California and New York State Bars and handles litigation for firm clients in jurisdictions around the world. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Miramax Films, SFX Entertainment, and as a music journalist. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, San Diego and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California.