A Dedicated Alumnus, Educator, Leader, and Donor Makes His Mark at Suffolk
After attaining his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and spending a few years working in the field, Tom entered Suffolk Law School, knowing his background would give him an excellent foundation to practice both intellectual property (IP) and patent law. To support himself, Tom worked at Raytheon, a defense engineering firm, while attending Suffolk Law at night. It was at this time that Tom met John N. Anastasi, JD ’94, who, like him, also worked at Raytheon while attending Suffolk Law at night.
Tom spent a few years working in IP law after graduating from Suffolk, and in 2003, launched Lando & Anastasi LLP with his friend and fellow Suffolk Law alumnus, Anastasi. Today, the firm has grown to some 55 attorneys with clients in industries around the world. In addition to his work as a partner at the firm, Tom devotes some of his time to imparting lessons learned over the years to undergraduates in the Sawyer Business School—teaching Principles of Business Law; Protecting Your Innovations Through IP Law, Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright; and Sports Ethics and Law, a course within the interdisciplinary Sports Management major. Bringing real-world business problems and solutions to the classroom has been a hallmark of his teaching.
“A law firm is a business,” Tom explains. “You’re counseling clients, but you still have a business to run like any other. Payroll needs to be met, cash flow, billing…. A good part of the time I’ve been at Lando & Anastasi I’ve been on the management committee and involved with running the firm.”
“We appreciate that Tom brings business knowledge with a legal lens to our students,” says Amy Zeng, Dean of the Sawyer Business School. “Tom’s background at the intersection of law and business is particularly beneficial and valuable for our business students. In addition, he is a member of the Business School Dean’s Cabinet, providing important strategic guidance.”
Tom first became an active alumnus through volunteer roles, serving on the Law School Alumni Board of Directors and the Law School Dean’s Cabinet. Through this involvement, he says, “I started to see some of the things they were doing. I was there when Andy Perlman became Dean. He’s doing great things in the Law School and I’m happy to be involved.”
In addition to giving back in the classroom and through his leadership roles, Tom and his wife Lynne have made generous contributions to numerous Suffolk programs and initiatives impacting students across the University. Their gifts support the Suffolk University Law School Intellectual Property Fund, the Catherine T. Judge Scholarship Fund II, the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Suffolk University Black Alumni Network Scholarship Fund, and the Sawyer Business School Dean’s Initiative Fund.
As Tom’s involvement with Suffolk has broadened and deepened over time, he has seen all three schools grow in stature and reputation. “I’m proud and happy to be a part of the University’s evolution,” says Tom. Through each of his roles—as an alumnus, teacher, volunteer, and donor—Tom shares the very best of himself with the Suffolk community.