Litigation - First Amendment Media Law
Thomas R. "Tom" Burke
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Tom Burke concentrates his practice on media, entertainment and intellectual property litigation and counseling. He has over 23 years of litigation experience in the trial and appellate courts including multiple appearances in the California Supreme Court, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and California’s Courts of Appeal.
Tom's clients include: Amazon.com, The Bakersfield Californian, California Newspaper Publishers Association, CBS, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Investigative Reporting, CNN, Kaiser Permanente, Lions Gate Entertainment, The Los Angeles Times, The McClatchy Company, NBCUniversal, The New York Times Co., San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sierra Club, Western Communications, Inc., and Zite.com.
Tom's clients include: Amazon.com, The Bakersfield Californian, California Newspaper Publishers Association, CBS, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Investigative Reporting, CNN, Kaiser Permanente, Lions Gate Entertainment, The Los Angeles Times, The McClatchy Company, NBCUniversal, The New York Times Co., San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sierra Club, Western Communications, Inc., and Zite.com.
Overview
- University of San Francisco, J.D., graduated 1989
- Arizona State University, BS
- California, The State Bar of California
- California, The State Bar of California
- University of San Francisco, J.D., graduated 1989
- Arizona State University, BS
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation - First Amendment, San Francisco (2025)
- Litigation - First Amendment, San Francisco (2023)
- Litigation - First Amendment, San Francisco (2021)
- Litigation - First Amendment, San Francisco (2015)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Litigation - First Amendment
- Media Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television
- Entertainment Law - Music
- First Amendment Law
- Information Technology Law
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
News & Media
Additional Information
- Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
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