Michael S. Anderson

Mike’s practice involves complex commercial disputes regarding intellectual property, insurance, securities, and constitutional, international, and comparative law. As a result of his unique background, he also has developed an expertise specific to media and entertainment law. He has experience at all levels of litigation from trial court to final appeal and especially enjoys helping innovative startups find creative solutions to practical and legal dilemmas.

With Parr Brown’s Media and First Amendment group, Mike helps businesses and individuals with a variety of privacy, defamation, and public-access issues under state and federal law. He regularly assists journalists and others seeking access to information from the government through the Freedom of Information Act and Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) or Open and Public Meetings Act.

Since first joining Parr Brown, Mike has devoted a significant part of his practice to pro bono work. Through Parr Brown’s Freedom of Information Hotline, he has handled countless public-access cases. With the ACLU, he and other Parr Brown attorneys 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 helped secure the release of surveillance footage of a fatal shooting during a criminal proceeding in a federal courtroom. And with other Parr Brown attorneys, he has been helping refugees seek asylum in the United States.

Mike’s accomplishments have been fueled by a tireless work ethic. Prior to joining Parr Brown, he won an award at an international film festival, managed political campaigns, was a licensed stockbroker, backpacked throughout Europe twice, volunteered at a civil-rights organization to help families displaced by hurricanes, and slept at countless truck stops across the country as the singer and guitarist for a touring rock band.

University of Utah

B.S.

Columbia Law School

J.D. (2012)

Co-Author, Open Government Guide: Access to Public Records and Meetings in Utah

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Co-Author, Survey of Utah Employment Privacy Law

Media Law Resource Center

Co-Author, Survey of Utah Libel Law

Media Law Resource Center

Co-Author, Survey of Utah Privacy and Related Claims Against the Media

Media Law Resource Center

Co-Author, Utah Open Courts Compendium

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Law School for Journalists: Reporting on the Juvenile Court, Utah State Bar, December 2019

Know Your Rights: Contracts for the Artist, FanX® Salt Lake Comic Convention™, September 2019

The Post and the Pentagon Papers (with Judge Jill Pohlman, Utah Court of Appeals, and McKenzie Romero, Deseret News), Utah Bar Convention, July 2019

Morality Clauses in Entertainment Contracts, Utah Entertainment Law Section, May 2019

Courtrooms, Newsrooms, and the First Amendment, Utah State Bar: Law Day, May 2019

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

Salt Lake County Community & Economic Development Advisory Council (Member 2018-2020)

Vice Chair

Current

Bench-Media Subcommittee of the Utah Judicial Council

Co-chair

Current

Utah Judicial Council Standing Committee on Judicial Outreach

Member (Legal Media Representative)

Current

Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce

Leadership Utah

Current

Entertainment Law Section of Utah State Bar (Secretary 2018-19)

Treasurer

Current