Celebrating World IP Day 2026

Citybiz Features L&A Attorneys on the Power of Intellectual Property

We sat down with the attorneys at Boston-based intellectual property (IP) law boutique Lando & Anastasi, LLP (L&A) to discuss World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated each year on April 26th, and the important role patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets play in protecting innovation, creativity, and business growth across industries.

From emerging technologies to established global brands, intellectual property often determines whether great ideas become lasting success stories.

With that in mind, we asked the L&A attorneys: What is one moment in your career where intellectual property protection made a real difference—for a business, an individual inventor, or an industry—and what did it teach you about the value of the work you do?

Peter C. Lando, Co-Founding Partner

“One moment that shaped how I think about intellectual property came early in my career, working with a small technology company whose future depended on a single breakthrough innovation. The founders were brilliant technically but hadn’t realized how vulnerable they were once that idea showed real commercial promise.

Working closely with the client, we built an IP strategy aligned with how they planned to bring the technology to market. When a much larger competitor later introduced a product that came uncomfortably close, that IP protection made all the difference. Instead of being sidelined, the client was able to assert their rights, leading to a licensing opportunity that validated the technology and funded its next stage of growth.

That experience taught me IP isn’t about paperwork—it’s about leverage, credibility, and giving innovators confidence when the balance of power matters most. When done thoughtfully, IP protection doesn’t slow innovation; it enables it.”

Nicole A. Palmer, Partner

“Working with our client GRIT, the maker of the all-terrain Freedom Chair, has been a rewarding experience. Their mission—expanding access to outdoor recreation and adaptive sports—makes it easy to care deeply about the work. Supporting the protection of their innovation has allowed me to play a small role in helping more people get outside and participate in sports in ways that weren’t possible before. It’s a reminder, especially on this World IP Day, that behind every protected idea is a human impact—and that’s what makes this work so fulfilling.”

Robert A. Skrivanek, Jr., Partner

“I have been practicing IP law for many years, and I have helped numerous companies protect their innovations and become major players in their respective industries. This story involved a semiconductor manufacturing patent based on an application originally filed in 1996. The patent was being enforced in litigation when the defendant challenged it through a Patent Office reexamination, arguing the claims were obvious based on two prior references.

One key advantage was that one of our inventors had actually worked with both references—he had a prototype based on one and a commercial example based on the other. We argued the examiner’s proposed combination simply would not work in practice. When the examiner disagreed, we had the trump card; we brought both physical examples to an in-person interview at the Patent Office.

Seeing the actual devices made the difference. The examiner tried to combine them as proposed and realized it was impossible. While some claims were narrowed, the key claims were preserved, the patent remained enforceable, and infringement was ultimately found in court.

What I learned was that while a picture is worth a thousand words, a real-world example can be even more persuasive. Strong patent drafting years earlier also mattered—because the invention was described broadly enough, it protected technology that later transformed the industry.”

Thomas M. Sullivan, Partner

“When I first started practicing patent law, a family member gave me a picture to hang in my office. The picture is the front page of a patent from 1928 (U.S. Pat. No 1,668,969). The patent was assigned to a company in Plymouth, NH, and is directed to the inner construction of a baseball. That basic construction is similar to that still used in baseballs today, almost 100 years later. Seeing that picture every day continues to remind me of the importance of intellectual property and how basic inventions can provide lasting value.

It also gives me a laugh now when young associates ask if I worked on that patent.”

This article was originally published in Citybiz.