I am a business-focused advisor and expert in identifying, acquiring, transferring and enforcing IP assets.
John Lanza offers business-focused counsel on acquiring, transferring, and protecting intellectual property rights. With extensive experience advising both startups and established companies in a wide range of industries, he helps his clients successfully navigate diverse business challenges.
John is a Certified Patent Valuation Analyst.
John has been an adjunct professor and frequent guest lecturer, contributing valuable insights on intellectual property and commercialization, at Suffolk University School of Law, Boston University School of Law, Northeastern University School of Law, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S., Electrical Engineering, 1988
Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1987
Bar and Court Admissions
BAR ADMISSIONS
Massachusetts
New York
Georgia
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (Agency)
COURT ADMISSIONS
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court of Massachusetts
Experience
Successfully defended a European patent central to a portfolio protecting a novel printed circuit board fabrication technology facilitating the reduction of the number of discrete elements required.*
Directs worldwide patent portfolio strategy for preeminent manufacturer of computer network software.*
Performed a comprehensive intellectual property landscape review on behalf of a major software manufacturer and counseled the company on product introduction issues identified by the review.*
Developed and implemented portfolio strategy for MIT Media Lab spinoff that manufactures electrophoretic display technologies.*
Counseled leading manufacturer of semiconductor devices concerning broad assertion of infringement made against digital signal processing line of products.*
Successfully requested reexamination of United States patent directed to use of multiple prime factors in public key cryptography.*
Performed a comprehensive intellectual property landscape review on behalf of a manufacturer of entertainment software and counseled the company with respect to final design before launch of product.*
Advised potential acquirer of software assets regarding valuation of assets during live auction in United States Bankruptcy Court.*
Developed technical strategy forming the basis for Citrix Systems, Inc’s successful defense against claims that its Meta Frame networking product infringed a patent held by plaintiff. John’s strategy resulted in a summary judgment ruling of non-infringement. Orenshteyn v. Citrix Systems, Inc. SD Fl.*
Developed technical strategy forming basis for RSA Security Inc.’s defense against claims that its SecurID® computer security product infringed three patents designed to prevent unauthorized use of a computer. After a three-day Markman hearing, the Court granted summary judgment that the SecurID® product did not infringe any claim of the asserted patents. Digital Privacy, Inc v. RSA Security Inc., ED Va 2002.*
Defended RSA Security Inc. in patent infringement action relating to RSA's RC6 encryption algorithm. Luyster v. RSA Security Inc., D Mass.*
* Denotes representations handled by John prior to joining Foley Hoag.
Other Publications
Co-author, "AI & inventorship: Comparing patenting in the US & UK," Managing IP, April 26, 2024
Co-author, “Industry Insights – Key Takeaways from 2022 Smart Fabrics Summit,” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, April 26, 2022
Co-author, “The Laws of Fashion: What's Trending in 2022”, March 22, 2022
Co-author, “Cryptocurrency for Supply Chain Payments” Dashboard Insights, February 1, 2022
Author, “Industrial Robotics Use Rising” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, January 27, 2022
Co-author, “Blockchain for Capital Equipment in a Machine-as-a-Service Model” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, January 18, 2022
Author, “Survey of Smart Manufacturers Says SME’s Need a LIFT” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, December 21, 2021
Co-author, “Get Real: Preventing Counterfeit Product with Blockchain” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, October 13, 2021
Co-author, “Legal Implications of Blockchain in Supply Chain: What’s Law Got to Do With It?” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, October 7, 2021
Author, “Creating a Successful Smart Manufacturing Environment for Small and Medium-sized Manufacturers” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, February 3, 2021
Co-author, “Join Us: Driving the Future of Automotive Technology” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, October 10, 2019
Co-author, “Manufacturing MarketTrends | July 2019, Issue 2” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, July 12, 2019
Co-author, “Manufacturing MarketTrends | April 2019, Issue 1” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, April 17, 2019
Co-author, “AI is Here to Stay: Are You Prepared?” Dashboard Insights, (April 3, 2019)
Author, “Right Tool, Right Job: Smart Manufacturing Requires Focus on Intellectual Property” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, April 3, 2019
Author, “Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Accelerating” Manufacturing Industry Advisor, March 13, 2019
Author, “Expect IoT to Continue Redefining Customer Experience in 2017,” November 2, 2016
Author, “Turning IOT Data into Opportunities,” September 25, 2015
Author, “The Internet of Things Bodes a Brave New – And Smarter – Manufacturing World” Manufacturing Leadership Journal, April 15, 2015
"Wireless Delivery and IP Issues in the Cloud," panel presentation at "User Driven IP 4.0: High Stakes. High Rewards," Foley's Annual IP Conference in New York, NY, October 2012
“Patent Reform: Is It All We Had Hoped For?” moderator, Foley’s IP Counsel Café 2012 in Palo Alto, CA, April 2012
“B-to-C Business,” moderator, Foley's 2011 Emerging Technologies Conference in Boston, MA, November 2011
"Q&A," featured interview, IP Law360, July 2009
"How to Get Started: From Dealing with Red Tape to Protecting Patents to Getting Paid...," quoted, Inc. Magazine, April 2007
Author, "Different Guidelines to Evaluating IP Before an M&A," Boston Business Journal, September 2006
IN THE MEDIA
“Is this the Supreme Court case to get the patent pulse racing?” quoted, Intellectual Asset Management Magazine, April 24, 2014
"Tread Carefully When in the Hunt for Fire-Sale IP," quoted, Boston Business Journal, June 2010
"Clean, Green Tech and Patent Review," co-author, Law360, May 2010
"Cloudy with a Chance of Prosperity," quoted, Boston Business Journal, February 2010
"Ideas into the Ether," quoted, Mass High Tech, October 2009
"Ask Inc.: Protecting Yourself from Copycat Competitors," quoted, Inc. Magazine, October 2009
"Unknown Territory: International IP Comes with Risk," quoted, Boston Business Journal, June 2009
"E-Commerce and Patents," quoted, Inc. Magazine, August 2007
"How to Get Started: From Dealing with Red Tape to Protecting Patents to Getting Paid...," quoted, Inc. Magazine, April 2007
Honors & Involvement
HONORS
Named the Best Lawyers 2026 Technology Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Boston
Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Information Technology Law (2011-2026) and Patent Law (2026)
Named the Best Lawyers 2022 and 2024 Information Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston
IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners (2012-2016, 2020-2021, 2024-2025)
IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property magazine (Nationally, Massachusetts) (2015, 2019, 2024)
Listed in Chambers USA as a leading attorney in the field of intellectual property (2006-2019)
Recognition by The Legal 500 - for patent prosecution work in utility and design patents (2011, 2014 and 2015); for work in patent licensing (2012-2014); and for his work in patent portfolio management and licensing and patent prosecution (2016).
Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Intellectual Property (2010-2015, 2018-2022)
Member, 2008 Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni, Georgia Institute of Technology
INVOLVEMENT
Law360 Legal Tech Editorial Board (2025)
American Bar Association, member
Treasurer, Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Board
Town Meeting Member, Town of Wellesley
Commissioner, Town of Wellesley Recreation Committee
Speaking Engagements
"Startup Boot Camp Part 1: Basics & Best Practices, " RoboBusiness Conference (October 2025)
“Robotics Startup Bootcamp,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2025 (May 2025)
"IP Protection in the Age of AI," Boulder Startup Week (May 2025)
"Going Your Own Way: Technology Startups," CREATE-X: Georgia Tech University (January 2024)
"Start-Up Legal Bootcamp," CREATE-X: Georgia Tech University (January 2024)
"Doing Deals Now," panelist, Northeastern University School of Law's Transactional Law Conference, March 2010
"Media Technology / Entertainment: Shifting Content," panelist, MIT Venture Capital Conference: Reinventing Venture Capital, December 2008
"MedTech in the US," speaker, Innovation Norway’s Medtech Business Primer and Workshop, April 2008
"Future of Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy," panelist, Young Entrepreneurs at Tufts Entrepreneurship Conference, October 2007
"Geeks to Grandmothers: Extending the Reach of Technology," moderator, MIT Enterprise Forum Winter Conference: Brave New Web – Connect, Contribute, Collaborate, February 2007
"Creating Proprietary Value in an 'Open' World," speaker, 15th Annual RSA Conference, February 2006
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