About
Patent attorney. Former software engineer. Independent researcher.
J.D., Brooklyn Law School • B.A., Computer Science, Hunter College
Lana Akopyan is a patent attorney, former software engineer, and independent researcher working at the intersection of AI systems, legal evidence, and intellectual property.
Before entering law, she developed enterprise software in C#, .NET, and SQL and led engineering teams. Over more than fifteen years in patent practice, she has worked with software and computer-implemented inventions, patent strategy, product clearance, open-source risk, technology transactions, and intellectual-property governance.
Her independent research examines how AI systems behave under changing conditions, what human review can and cannot establish about reliability, and what evidence organizations need before relying on AI-assisted workflows.
Research and Scholarship
Lana is the author of The Asymmetry Audit, a matched-prompt study of behavioral stability across 13 commercial AI models. The study, methodology, and replication materials are preserved on Zenodo under the canonical DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21480731.
She is also the author of Operational IP Debt: How AI-Driven Organizations Lose IP Value Before the Law Ever Applies, forthcoming in the University of Florida Journal of Technology Law & Policy, and writes about AI-assisted patent practice and software intellectual property for IPWatchdog and The Agentic Lawyer.
Technical Foundation and Patent Practice
Lana’s software-engineering background informs how she evaluates architectures, data flows, model behavior, product constraints, and technical evidence. Her patent work has included software, artificial intelligence, data analytics, telecommunications, cloud systems, cybersecurity, mobile applications, and connected products.
Her approach connects what a system technically does with what an organization can own, protect, verify, and defend.
Software Patentability Reform in Armenia
In 2019, Lana conceived and drafted the Armenian Bar Association’s Protecting Software proposal and proposed statutory amendment language, and presented the proposal in Yerevan. Its central approach is reflected in Article 12(6) of Armenia’s 2021 Patent Law.
Leadership and Credentials
Selected Recognition
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars — Intellectual Property, New York Metro, 2021
- Armenian Bar Association Rising Stars Award — 2019
Leadership and Qualifications
Teaching & Public Education
Lana develops materials and leads programs introducing young learners to inventions and intellectual property. Her work has included elementary-school and preschool sessions, classroom materials, and educational videos through Anarani Labs. Activities have included guided invention exercises in which students identify problems, develop and explain solutions, and document their ideas through age-appropriate patent activities.