Whitney Johnson kopfoto.

R. Whitney Johnson

Partner

R. Whitney “Whit” Johnson is a partner and intellectual property attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP. Whit is based in the Salt Lake City office where he is a member of the Electronics Practice Group.

He concentrates his practice on providing patent-related services, including U.S. and foreign patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic counseling. His practice encompasses patent preparation and prosecution, patent opinions, due diligence investigations, audits, and pre-litigation patent analysis. In addition to advising clients on developing, protecting, and utilizing intellectual property rights, Whit counsels clients on intellectual property licensing and other transactions involving intellectual property assets and intellectual property dispute matters.

In addition to his legal career, Whit worked as a systems engineer for an industry-leading multinational aerospace and defense technology company serving national security, civil, and commercial customers.

 

Prijzen en erkenning

  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America® (currently: Patent Law) (2022-2026)
  • Board Member, Salt Lake County Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (EDRLF) Advisory Committee (2014-2020)
  • Judge, Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (2010-2019)
  • Mentor, VentureCapital.org (formerly Wayne Brown Institute) (2011-present)
  • Board Member, University of Utah College of Engineering Alumni Association (2009-2015)
  • Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Utah) by Chambers USA (currently: Intellectual Property) (2017-2025)
  • Listed among Rising Stars (Intellectual Property), Mountain States Super Lawyers®  (2016-2017)
  • Listed in Intellectual Asset Management’s IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners (2020, 2024)
  • Included in Utah Business Legal Elite (Intellectual Property) (listed since 2017)
  • Recipient, CALI Award

Presentaties en publicaties

  • “Navigating Intellectual Property Myths and Pitfalls,” Venture Fuel Summit (Sept. 11, 2020)
  • Co-author, “What’s Driving the Rise of Behind-the-Meter Distributed Energy Resources,” Power Magazine (Oct. 1, 2019)
  • Co-presenter, “What is Blockchain and Why Is It Important to be Prepared,” Seattle Chapter of The CFO Leadership Council (Nov. 15, 2018)
  • “Blockchain + Renewables = Red Tape?,” Renewable Energy World (March/April 2018)
  • “Blockchain 101 for Legal Counsel,” Corporate Section, Alaska Bar Association (Jan. 18, 2017)
  • “What Physician Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Patents,” The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs of Salt Lake City (May 26, 2016)
  • “Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs,” Student Entrepreneurs Conference, eBay Inc. (Sept. 26, 2015)
  • Co-presenter, “Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs,” Student Entrepreneurs Conference, eBay Inc. (Oct. 29, 2013)
  • “Before the Deal: Architecture of Intellectual Property Due Diligence,” The Enterprise (Aug. 13-17, 2012)
  • Co-presenter, “Business Organization: The Right Structure for the Right Idea,” Student Entrepreneurs Conference, University of Utah (Oct. 30, 2010)
  • “Intellectual Property: It’s Not Just For Lawyers,” Student Entrepreneurs Conference, University of Utah (Nov. 7, 2009)
  • “Are Software and Business Methods Still Patentable After In re Bilski?” Intellectual Property Series, Salt Lake City, Utah (Jan. 22, 2009)
  • “From Patent Pending to Patent Holding,” The Enterprise (Oct. 13-17, 2008)
  • “Trademark for Creating a Kid-Friendly Cyber-Playground on the Internet,” Utah Law Review 465, (2006)

Talen

  • Portugees

 

21 november 2025 In het nieuws

Foley en Utah Business organiseren rondetafelgesprek over AI op de werkplek

Foley & Lardner LLP heeft in samenwerking met Utah Business een rondetafelgesprek georganiseerd over hoe kunstmatige intelligentie het werk verandert.
Abstracte digitale illustratie met gloeiende rechthoekige vormen en lijnen, die lijken op een futuristisch stadslandschap of datanetwerk - perfect voor advocaten of advocatenkantoren in Chicago die gespecialiseerd zijn in intellectueel eigendomsrecht.
29 oktober 2025 Innovatieve technologische inzichten

Cruciale stap van laboratorium naar toepassing: Waarom nu het moment is om fundamentele kwantumoctrooien veilig te stellen

Quantumtechnologie ontwikkelt zich snel van een voornamelijk academische discipline tot een concurrerende commerciële sector, gedreven door versnellende innovatie en het streven naar marktrijpe toepassingen. Octrooigegevens uit het MIT Quantum Index Report 2025 bevestigen een sterke toename van kwantumgerelateerde activiteit, waarbij het aantal aanvragen toeneemt en intellectuele eigendomsrechten zich concentreren bij een relatief kleine groep van wereldleiders.
5 oktober 2025 In het nieuws

Whit Johnson geciteerd over de staat van kernenergie naarmate de AI-energiebehoefte groeit

Whit Johnson, partner bij Foley & Lardner LLP, gaf commentaar op de veranderende aantrekkingskracht van kernenergie voor AI-datacenters in het CNBC-artikel "Nuclear in my backyard? Meer van Amerika, en de markt, lijkt het goed te vinden."
28 juli 2025 In het nieuws

Whit Johnson Joins Utah Business Legal Roundtable

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Whit Johnson joined leading attorneys across Utah at a recent roundtable on the legal industry hosted by Utah Business.
20 juni 2025 Onderscheidingen

Zes advocaten van Foley opgenomen in Utah Business' 2025 Legal Elite

Foley & Lardner LLP partners Jeff Bowman, Monica Call, Melanie Clark, Wes Harward, Whit Johnson en David Jordan zijn door Utah Business erkend als een van de 2025 Legal Elite.
5 juni 2025 Persberichten

Foley behaalt toppositie in Chambers USA 2025

Foley & Lardner LLP is er trots op opnieuw door Chambers & Partners erkend te worden als een van de toonaangevende advocatenkantoren in het land in de 2025 editie van Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.