Guylyn Cummins

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Partner

Overview
Experience
Honors
Memberships
Articles
Speeches

Guylyn Cummins is a partner in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Cummins has spent her entire career working in media law. A seasoned litigator, she represents a broad array of media clients relating to First Amendment issues, including access issues, libel and advertising content, plus trademark and copyright fair use. Representative clients include BusinessWeek magazine, voiceofsandiego.com, investigativenewssource.com, Investigative News Network, and Clear Channel.

Education

J.D., University of San Diego, 1985, magna cum laude
M.A., University of Southern California, 1982, with honors
B.A., University of Nebraska, 1979, with high distinction

Admissions

California
United States District Courts for the Central, Southern and Eastern Districts
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Supreme Court

Representative Appellate Case List:

United States Supreme Court

United Reporting Pub. Corp. v. Lungren
946 F. Supp. 822, 65 USLW 2427, 97 Daily Journal D.A.R. 5837, S.D. Cal., Nov. 27, 1996
United Reporting Pub. Corp. v. California Highway Patrol
146 F.3d 1133, 26 Media L. Rep. 1915, 98 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4948, 98 Daily Journal D.A.R. 7073, 9th Cir. (Cal.), Jun 25, 1998
Los Angeles Police Department, Petitioner, v. United Reporting Publishing Corporation, No. 98-678 (Briefing),
528 U.S. 32, 120 S.Ct. 483, 145 L.Ed.2d 451, 68 USLW 4005, 28 Media L. Rep. 1041, 99 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9589, 1999 Daily Journal D.A.R. 12,377, 1999 CJ C.A.R. 6471, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 12
United Reporting Pub. Corp. v. California Highway . . .
231 F.3d 483, C.A. 9, 2000.
Press-Enterprise Company v. Superior Court
478 U.S. 1, 106 S.Ct. 2735, 92 L.Ed.2d 1, 54 USLW 4869, 13 Media L. Rep. 1001 (Amicus Brief)

California Supreme Court

Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court
39 Cal.4th 122, 141 P.4th 288, 48 Cal.Rptr.3d 183, 34 Media L.Rep. 2419, 06 Cal.Daily Op. Serv. 8182, 2006 Daily Journal D.A.R. 11,839 Aug 31, 2006
Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court,
18 Cal.Rptr.657, 21 IER Cases 1482, 04 Cal.Daily Op. Serv. 8552, 4 Daily Journal D.A.R. 11,687 (Review Granted) Dec 1, 2004
San Diego Police Officers Assn. v. City of San Diego Civil Service Comm'n,
2005 WL 1806953, Cal.App. 4 Dist., Aug 1, 2005 (Related Case)

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal

In re Copley Press, Inc., United States v. Higuera-Guerrero
518 F.3d 1022, 36 Media L.Rep. 1705, 08 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2597, 2008 Daily Journal D.A.R. 3174, Cal.App. 9 Cir., Mar 4, 2007
In re United States District Court for The Southern District of California v. John Doe
2008 WL 624751 Cal.App.9 Cir. (Cal.), Mar 4, 2008
U.S. v. Buendia-Cabrera
90 Fed. Appx. 481, 2003 WL 22682452 (9th Cir. (Cal)), 9th Cir. (Cal.), Nov 07, 2003
Phillips ex re. Estates of Byrd v. General Motors Corp.
307 F. 3d 1206, 31 Media L. Rep. 1060, 2 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 10,397, 2002 Daily Journal D.A.R. 11,978, 9th Cir. (Mont.), Oct. 15, 2002 (Amicus Brief)

Federal District Courts

U.S. v. Inzunza
303 F. Supp. 2d 1041, S.D. Cal., Feb 05, 2004
Leventhal v. Vista Unified School Dist.
973 Supp. 951, 121 Ed. Law Rep. 95, S.D. Cal., Jul 01, 1997
Crowe v. County of San Diego et. al.
359 F.Supp.2d 994, U.S. Dist. Ct. S.D., Feb 28, 2005

California Appellate Courts

Alvarez v. Superior Court
154 Cal.App.4^th 642, 64 Cal.Rptr.3d 854, 07 Cal.Daily Op. Serv. 10,109, 2007 Daily Journal D.A.R. 13,017 Aug 24, 2008
McGarry v. Univ. of San Diego
154 Cal.App.4^th97, 64 Cal.Rptr.3d 467, 222 Ed. Law Rep. 307, 07 Cal.Daily Op. Serv. 9612, 2007 Daily Journal D.A.R. 12, 396, Nov 14, 2007
Baker v. McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Co.
2005 WL 388587, Cal.App.4 Dist., Feb 18, 2005
Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court
122 Cal. App. 4th 489, 18 Cal. Rptr. 3d 657, 21 IER Cases 1482, 4 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8552, 4 Daily Journal D.A.R. 11,687, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Sep 16, 2004
Annette F. v. Sharon S.,
119 Cal. App. 4th 1146, 15 Cal. Rptr. 3d 100, 4 Cal, Daily Op. Serv. 5744, 2004 Daily Journal D.A.R. 7736, Cal App. 4 Dist., Jun 28, 2004
AntiCancer, Inc. v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
2003 WL 22422415, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Oct 24, 2003
Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court
2003 WL 21055100, Cal. App. 4 Dist., May 12, 2003
Global Laser Vision Medical Centers., Inc. v. KSWB, Inc.
2003 WL 1194115, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Mar 17, 2003
South Coast Newspapers, Inc. v. Superior Court
85 Cal. App. 4th 866, 102 Cal. Rptr. 2d 487, 29 Media L. Rep. 1119, 00 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 10,142, 2000 Daily Journal D.A.R. 13,601, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Dec 21, 2002
Damon v. Ocean Hills Journalism Club
85 Cal. App. 4th 468, 102 Cal. Rptr. 2d 205, 00 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9925, 2000 Daily Journal D.A.R. 13, 185, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Dec 13, 2000.
Melaleuca, Inc. v. Clark
66 Cal. App. 4th 1344, 78 Cal. Rptr. 2d 627, 98 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7525, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Sep 29, 1998
KNSD Channels 7/39 v. Superior Court
63 Cal. App. 4th 1200 74 Cal. Rptr. 2d 595, 26 Media L. Rep. 2002, 98 Daily Journal D.A.R. 5031, Cal. App. 4 Dist., May 13, 1998
Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court
63 Cal. App. 4th 367, 74 Cal. Rptr. 2d 69, 125 Ed. Law Rep. 173, 26 Media L. Rep. 1948, 98 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2981, 98 Daily Journal D.A.R. 4033, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Apr 20, 1998
Poway Unified School Dist. V. Superior Court (Copley Press)
62 Cal. App. 4th 1496, 73 Cal. Rptr. 2d 777, 125 Ed. Law Rep. 165, 26 Media L. Rep. 1943, 98 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2736, 98 Daily Journal D.A.R. 3738, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Apr. 13, 1998
Church of Scientology v. Wollersheim
42 Cal. App. 4th 628, 49 Cal. Rptr. 2d 620, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv., 773, 96 Daily Journal D.A.R. 1162, Cal. App. 2 Dist., Feb 01, 1996 (Amicus Brief)
In re San Diego Commerce
40 Cal. App. 4th 1229, 47 Cal. Rptr. 2d 303, 24 Media L. Rep. 1276, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9348, 95 Daily Journal D.A.R. 16, 247, Cal. App. 4 Dist., Nov. 16, 1995

Honors

Recognized as one of the "Top Women Lawyers/Litigators in California" by the Daily Journal, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2013
Recognized, First Amendment Litigation & Counseling, Legal 500, 2009
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1997
Recognized as one of California's leading media and entertainment lawyers in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers and has many published legal decisions on First Amendment issues, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
Named to "The Lawdragon 500 New Stars, New Worlds" and "Best Lawyers in America" lists
San Diego Super Lawyer, 2008-2013

Memberships

Member, Governing Board of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law
Held many committee chair positions, Media Law Resource Center
Member, numerous media organizations throughout California and the nation

Articles

Q&A With Sheppard Mullin's Guylyn Cummins, Law360, April 15, 2013
Top Women Lawyers 2011, Daily Journal, May 11, 2011
Top Attorneys 2010, San Diego Daily Transcript, July 21, 2010
Can Intentional or Knowingly Reckless Misuse of Copyrighted Material Be Considered “Fair Use?”, Communications Lawyer, Volume 26, Number 3, July 2009
An Advertising Face-Off, Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 28, 2009
Many Hope to Bring the Fairness Doctrine Back From the Dead, Los Angeles Daily Journal, March 11, 2009
A New Game Plan, Los Angeles Daily Journal, March 3, 2009
Guylyn Cummins Fights to Protect Journalists and the Public, San Diego Metropolitan, June 1, 2008
Top 75 Women Litigators, Daily Journal, May 14, 2008
Guarding the Fourth Estate, Southern California Super Lawyer, June 1, 2007

Intellectual Property Law Blog Articles

"Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down California Law Banning the Sale or Rental of "Violent Video Games" To Minors", February 25, 2009

Speeches

Speaker, National Press Club Forum, San Diego State University, August 2008
Lectured extensively and taught media law as an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law

Events

Legal Frontiers in Digital Media, May 15, 2008, A conference on the emerging legal issues surrounding digital publishing and content distribution.