James H. Burns is of counsel to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Columbia who practices in the areas of business litigation and consumer financial services litigation.

Before joining the Firm, Mr. Burns served on active duty in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. While stationed at the Pentagon, he served as deputy legal counsel to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. In that capacity, he provided time-sensitive legal opinions on ethics, complex investigations, and military justice matters to senior Navy executives. He has also served as assistant force judge advocate and operational law attorney for the Commander, United States Naval Forces Southeast. Mr. Burns holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve.

Mr. Burns is admitted to practice in South Carolina and before the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Richland County Bar and the American Bar Association. Mr. Burns is active in a number of local charitable organizations.

In 2002, Mr. Burns earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was Editor in Chief of the South Carolina Law Review and a student member of the John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court. In 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from The Citadel.