Overview
Mackenzie "Mac" Burns is an Associate in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins. With experience handling complex litigation matters, Mac is passionate about the intersection of law, business, entrepreneurship, and technology. His practice focuses on commercial litigation and general litigation covering a variety of legal and business disputes, including those related to intellectual property and contract matters. He has provided counsel to a wide variety of clients - from startups to Fortune 500 businesses - on negotiating settlements, developing defense strategies, and alternative dispute resolution.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mac has experience advising clients on general corporate matters, including business formation and preparing essential business contracts; intellectual property, including protecting trademarks; and addressing general data privacy and cybersecurity issues. He is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) for the United States, the gold standard certification for information privacy professionals.
Mac earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where he worked through the school's Startup Practicum assisting entrepreneurs and small business owners with transactional documents, prosecuting and successfully obtaining trademarks, and advising on potential liabilities. Mac earned his Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and founded the school's chapter of Kappa Alpha Pi, a professional, co-ed, pre-law fraternity.
Representative Cases & Matters
- Successfully resolved complex trademark infringement litigation against one of the largest craft breweries in the United States.
- Represent new media personality with over 1.4 million TikTok followers in complex commercial dispute.
- Assisted in obtaining complete jury trial victory in business dispute case in which client was awarded all amounts due plus interest and attorneys’ fees.
- Advised and drafted equity award agreements for a bio-tech startup.
- Helped draft successful motion for summary disposition dismissing millions of dollars’ worth of claims on behalf of multinational robotics company.
Credentials
Education
University of Miami School of Law, cum laude
Michigan State University, with honors
Admissions – Court
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Admissions – State
- Michigan
Professional & Civic
Community Involvement
- Provided pro bono legal services to a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization dedicated to helping provide logistical and humanitarian aid to victims of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.