Lance A. Lawson

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Intellectual Property

Career

Lance Lawson is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. A licensed Professional Engineer with an advanced degree in engineering, Lance is a first-chair litigator with 25 years of experience obtaining outstanding results for his technology clients. Lance focuses on patent infringement and other intellectual property litigation including trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, and trade secrets, as well as commercial disputes involving technology and licensing.

Lance has represented companies in intellectual property disputes before the International Trade Commission, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, in U.S. district courts throughout the country, and in appeals to the Federal Circuit and other Courts of Appeal. He also has extensive experience in strategic planning concerning patent and trademark procurement and portfolio management, including acquisition, maintenance, and licensing of U.S. and foreign patent and trademark assets. Lance served over four years on the Executive Committee at his previous law firm before it merged with Burr Forman.

Lance has leveraged his experience as a licensed professional engineer to advise clients in intellectual property disputes in diverse technologies, including medical devices, mobile phones, air-to-ground communications, Wi-Fi, night vision devices, computer software and disc drives, electric automobiles, navigation systems, lithium batteries, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), cancer screening systems, pharmaceuticals, breathable films, and non-woven fabrics. In addition to his many speaking engagements on intellectual property issues, Lance is a guest lecturer on leadership and international security issues for Senior Executives courses at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. For his legal work and involvement in his community, Lance recently was the recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award.

Before entering private practice, Lance was a federal law clerk for the Honorable Robert D. Potter of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition, he was the Chair of the committee that promulgated the first set of Local Patent Rules for the Western District of North Carolina in 2010-2011 and served on the committee that revised the Local Patent Rules for the Eastern District of North Carolina. After serving as the Managing Editor and co-author for a weekly patent law update, Lance founded and was the Managing editor for eight years of the Federal Circuit Annual Review published by Aspen Publishing. Lance has authored many legal articles on intellectual property and served on the Intellectual Property Editorial Advisory Board for Law360’s nationally-published IP newsletter.

Prior to pursuing law, Lance served nine years on active duty as an engineer officer with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, including three years as chief of engineering and design, and one year commanding in combat an engineer unit in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Lance later served as a JAG attorney at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserves, while performing duties as the general counsel to several military units in the Southeast. During his time in the U.S. military, Lance was awarded the Master Parachutist Badge, the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, and the Bronze Star for actions in combat.

Lance continues to serves as a college liaison counselor to high school students interested in attending a service academy.

Professional Memberships

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Advisory Committee on Local Patent Rules (2015-2019)

U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Advisory Committee on Local Civil Rules (2015-2019)

North Carolina Bar Association, Patent Law Committee, Chair (2011-2013); IP Legislative Committee, Chair (2013-present); IP Litigation Committee, Co-Chair (2013-present); Intellectual Property Law Section, Council Member (2011-2016); Member (2011-present)

U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Advisory Committee on Local Patent Rules, Chair (2010-2011)

Personal

Head Coach, high school and middle school sports

Hospitality House of Charlotte, Member of Board

College Liaison, U.S. United States Military Academy (2004-present)

West Point Society of the Carolinas, Board Member (2002-present)

Education

Awards