Michael S. Anderson

As one of Utah’s top entertainment lawyers, Mike handles complex deals and disputes for clients throughout the entertainment industry, including film, television, music, publishing, radio, fashion, sports, theater, events, art, and media. While specific business and legal issues may vary from one project to the next, he provides clients with comprehensive legal counsel—often concerning contract, tort, securities, insurance, employment, constitutional, and intellectual property law.

Leading Parr Brown’s Entertainment Law group (see lawyersforentertainers.com), Mike represents clients in transactions, litigation, and other projects throughout all sectors and segments of the entertainment industry. His clients range from unknown artists to household names, including directors, screenwriters, actors, producers, record labels, bands, musicians, composers, publishers, authors, sports leagues, teams, athletes, comedians, radio shows, podcasts, networks, newspapers, visual artists, agents, theaters, dance companies, conventions, concerts, festivals, and many others. He has extensive experience with all aspects of entertainment law from basic agreements in early stages to major-label record deals, hit television shows, best-selling novels, award-winning films, and high-stakes lawsuits. He founded the Entertainment Law section of the Utah State Bar, teaches “Arts, Sports, and Entertainment Law” at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, speaks regularly on media and entertainment law issues, and volunteers substantial time with numerous event, community, and art organizations.

With Parr Brown’s Media and First Amendment team, Mike helps businesses, journalists, and individuals with defamation, false light, privacy, and access issues under state and federal law, including the Freedom of Information Act, Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), and Open and Public Meetings Act.

Mike also devotes a significant part of his practice to pro bono work. Through Parr Brown’s Freedom of Information Hotline, he has handled myriad public-access cases. With the ACLU and other Parr Brown attorneys, he challenged the constitutionality of Ogden’s “anti-gang injunction,” which the Utah Supreme Court invalidated as a result of their appeal. On behalf of a coalition of media outlets, he worked to release surveillance footage of a fatal shooting in a federal courtroom. And he has helped refugees seek asylum in the United States.

His accomplishments have been fueled by a tireless work ethic. Prior to joining Parr Brown, Mike won an award at an international film festival, managed political campaigns, was a licensed stockbroker, volunteered at a civil-rights organization to help families displaced by hurricanes, and toured the country as the singer and guitarist for a rock band. During his two years at Columbia Law School, he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar each year, published by the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, elected to multiple governing bodies, awarded recognition in international and comparative law, and selected for Columbia’s national moot court team in constitutional law. Asked to direct that team in his second year, he led four Columbia teams to sweep first through fourth place nationally. In his third year, he moved to England and earned a Master of Laws from King’s College London with distinction, the school’s highest award.

But Mike isn’t particularly interested in fancy pieces of paper. When he’s not just rolling up his sleeves and getting to work, he enjoys movies, music, books, travel, podcasts, and games, whether obsessing over sports analytics or defending his team’s title at “geek trivia” nights around town. He founded a record label in 2013, and the first release reached #1 on Billboard, among other accolades.

Super Lawyers has repeatedly named Mike a “Rising Star,” a recognition awarded to no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers each year, for his work in litigation and entertainment law. He has also been recognized by Utah Business Magazine as one of Utah’s Legal Elite and included in The Best Lawyers in America®.

In the News:

• Super Lawyers – Mountain States 2020 Courtroom Artist – Almost Famous: Mike Anderson on his days as a touring musician (by Andrew Brandt)