Profile

Marcus Burnside advises technology companies, private equity-backed businesses, and foreign clients on intellectual property strategy, AI governance, and data privacy. His practice sits at the intersection of three areas most attorneys handle separately: patent prosecution, IP-intensive transactions, and privacy and cybersecurity compliance.

Marcus has extensive experience prosecuting patent applications for companies developing AI and machine learning technologies, including systems for inference, memory architecture, data processing, and automation. His engineering background, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas, allows him to work directly with engineering teams on technically complex applications across hardware, software, robotics, energy, and communications systems.

On the transactional side, Marcus regularly supports M&A transactions as IP counsel, advising on IP representations and warranties, conducting diligence on patent and trademark portfolios, and negotiating technology licenses and software agreements. He works closely with deal teams at the front end of transactions to identify and resolve IP issues before they become closing risks.

Marcus is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and one of a small number of attorneys to hold the Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) certification from the IAPP. He advises companies on AI integration, data procurement strategies for machine learning development, and regulatory compliance for AI systems under emerging state and federal frameworks.

He has presented on AI governance and technology risk to CFO Leadership Councils, the Texas Society of CPAs, and the Association of Corporate Counsel, and has contributed to the Chambers Global Practice Guide on Data Protection and Privacy, Cyber Defense Magazine, and The Texas Lawbook.

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