In June, Ed Lanquist (’88) took office as president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA), a statewide professional association for members of the legal community. Lanquist’s long-time involvement with the TBA includes service as general counsel for the association for six years and as vice president and president-elect since 2022.
His duties as president include representing the TBA across the state and introducing lawyers to state supreme courts and the U.S. Supreme Court for admissions. “We also advocate for legislation that’s good for our members and work to provide great membership services,” adds Lanquist. “It’s a privilege to serve our members.”
After receiving his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Lanquist pursued an interest in intellectual property (IP) law, including litigation around copyrights, trademarks, and patents. In 1992, he co-founded a boutique law firm focused on IP law. “There weren’t many IP lawyers in the state at that time,” says Lanquist. “Everyone was going to New York or Washington, D.C. to get served, so we brought a lot of that work home.” Over time, the firm grew to become the largest IP boutique in the state and he prosecuted more than 150 patent applications and 1,400 trademark registration applications.
As technology became more integral to business operations, Lanquist was intrigued by how innovations such as AI and blockchain interact with IP law. He developed the ability to advise clients on how to use technology based on current laws and future possibilities. “To do that effectively, we have to stay current on the law and business — and also on the state of the technology,” he says. “If we don’t understand the technology, we can’t advise our clients.”
Lanquist has been counsel in several published patent opinions and has published many articles on IP law as well as AI. He is an adjunct professor at Nashville School of Law, teaching a course on IP and technology law, and has received many professional recognitions, including a ranking as Band 1 intellectual property attorney in Tennessee from Chambers USA since 2019 and Best Lawyers’ Nashville “Lawyer of the Year” in IP law for several years running.
He is also very active in the larger community, having served on or chaired almost 70 nonprofit boards including Hands on Nashville, Boy Scouts of America, the Multiple Schlerosis Society’s Mid South Chapter, Renewal House, and the Nashville Technology Council.
Today, Lanquist is happy to be practicing at Baker Donelson, a firm committed to public service. He credits the College of Law with laying a solid foundation to support his work and service. “The education I received was as much practical as theoretical — and that practical approach really helped prepare me for my career.”