Burgess, W. Graham

Susan Tillotson Bunch practices in the areas of media, technology, contests and sweepstakes, and advertising. Her practice focuses on all aspects of media law, including providing prepublication review and advice, defending against defamation, privacy and other content-related claims, drafting media, publishing and technology contracts, and prosecuting actions for access to judicial and governmental records and proceedings. Her litigation experience includes state and federal trial and appellate courts in Florida. Susan routinely counsels clients with respect to various Internet, technology, mobile marketing and other advertising issues, including preparing and reviewing website terms of use, privacy policies, technology licenses, social networking guidelines, online advertising agreements and other Internet-related documents, litigating domain name disputes, and advising clients on online and offline issues with respect to CAN-SPAM, COPPA, TCPA, FTC and CARU guidelines, mobile marketing best practices, and other applicable laws and regulations, particularly as they apply to cutting edge emerging communications media.

Susan regularly advises clients on the administration of contests, sweepstakes and other promotions, as well as legal and statutory requirements, including games of chance and contests of skill, promoted via radio, television, print media, direct mail, e-mail, online, mobile messaging, and smart phone/device apps.  Her practice in this area extends from the legal and structural analyses during the initial conceptual stage of the campaign through the various post-promotion activities and reporting obligations.  Her experience includes a broad variety of marketing and promotional endeavors ranging from commercial offerings directed to consumers, employees and others businesses, to charitable undertakings, such as raffles, commercial co-venture promotions and other advertising programs with a philanthropic element.  Susan works closely and collaboratively with firm clients from beginning to end, often advising on creative and flexible structural campaign approaches  to ensure that every aspect of a promotion complies with applicable legal and/regulatory obligations while still aiming for maximum achievement of the overall marketing goals, whether the promotion is local, regional, national or international (multi-zone). Susan frequently assists in furthering these objectives by negotiating and drafting ancillary agreements between co-sponsors and other promotion entities, such as prize suppliers, product placement partners, celebrity endorsers, and fulfillment companies.

Susan has worked on advertising and marketing matters with clients of all sizes and various industries, including newspapers, television stations, websites and other traditional media clients, travel agencies, non-profit organizations, grocery store chains, worldwide manufacturers, transportation companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies, advertising agencies and others on marketing projects ranging from local trade or business-to-business promotions to multi-zone international consumer-directed retail campaigns, coordinating foreign counsel where necessary.

Susan is a member of The Florida Bar and has been admitted to practice before all Florida federal courts, and the Eleventh and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. Susan consistently has been awarded an “AV” rating by her peers, the highest rating assigned by Martindale-Hubbell.  Susan has been named to Florida’s Legal Elite (by Florida Trend Magazine) and to Tampa Bay’s Best Lawyers (by Tampa Bay Magazine).

Susan is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Communications Law, the Online News Association and The Florida Bar’s Media and Communications Law Committee. Susan has served as a vice chair of the Newsletter Subcommittee of the Media Law and the Defamation Torts Committee and she co-chaired the 2006 Media Law Conference at the Stetson University of Law. Susan has authored a chapter in The Florida Bar's Reporter’s Handbook, has participated for many years in the editing and updating of the Handbook and served on the editorial advisory board for Judge Paul Siegel’s Florida Trial Objections, (Santa Ana, CA: James Publishing, 2004) and she has authored or co-authored numerous articles and newsletters on media law, Internet, sweepstakes and marketing issues and frequently lectures on all of these areas.  Susan served as the legal advisor to the 2008 Japan Karate Association/World Federation America National Tournament.

Susan served for several years as a certified Guardian ad Litem, representing the interests of abused and neglected children in Hillsborough County. She is a current member of the Board of Directors for A Gift for Teaching of Tampa Bay and previously served on the Child Abuse Council and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Boards of Directors. In addition, Susan provides volunteer legal services at the Hillsborough County Courthouse Domestic Violence Intake Center in conjunction with Bay Area Legal Services.

Susan earned her B.A. in Italian and German magna cum laude from Florida State University in 1987 where she was named to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her J.D. summa cum laude in 1990 from the Florida State University College of Law where she was named to the Order of the Coif and Who’s Who Among America Law Students and served as both an Associate Editor and note author for the Law Review.  After graduating, she served as a clerk to the Honorable Roger Vinson, Federal District Judge for the Northern District of Florida.

Susan is married to Kent and has three sons and one very spoiled Labrador Retriever.  In her spare time, she is an avid martial artist.