A third generation Houstonian, JOHN C. LANDA, JR., earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University (B.A., Accounting and Economics), magna cum laude, in 1982, and his law degree from The University of Texas Law School, with honors, in 1985. He became Board Certified in Personal Injury in 1990 and in Civil Trial Law in 1991 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and continues to maintain his certification in each area.  

From the beginning of his career John’s specialty has been health care liability defense, and over the past 25 years his primary focus has been the representation of nurses, hospitals and physicians in labor and delivery cases.

After decades of defending birth injury lawsuits, John is leveraging his experience to help obstetrical nurses understand common patterns in the way plaintiff’s attorneys approach these cases–the issues they raise against nurses, the tactics they use, and how routine care scenarios intersect with the law and can play out in the courts. He offers interactive small-group workshops, which are customized in collaboration with unit directors, managers and educators, and include discussion of case scenarios, relevant publications, and the unit’s pertinent policies and procedures. John is also available for large group lectures on documentation, laws, and other issues of importance in malpractice lawsuits. In addition, John consults with hospitals on policies and procedures and is available to assist with root cause analyses and similar quality improvement initiatives.

John’s special interest in health care litigation is grounded in his deep respect for the work done by nurses, administrators, and physicians, and his personal interests in physiology and medicine. He also lectures to university students, and was the keynote speaker at the December 2025 commencement ceremonies for Texas Woman’s University, Houston campus. John is President of the Houston Nursing Education Foundation, a non-profit that awards scholarships to nursing students (www.hnef.org). In addition, he and Bobby Lapin are proud to have established multiple nurse education scholarship funds in the Houston area.

John’s law practice is and has always been limited to litigation, with an emphasis on health care liability defense. He became Board Certified in Personal Injury in 1990 and in Civil Trial Law in 1991 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and continues to maintain his certification in each area.  John’s primary area of practice is the defense of hospitals, nurses and physicians in medical malpractice cases, with an emphasis on the handling of obstetrical cases and other cases involving catastrophic injuries. His special interest in health care litigation is grounded in his deep respect for the work done by nurses, administrators, and physicians, and his personal interest in learning about physiology and medicine. He and Bobby Lapin are proud to have established multiple nurse education scholarship funds in the Houston area, totaling over $100,000 to date. John is a frequent lecturer on health law and related risk management topics.

He is a member of the Houston Bar Association, American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar Foundation, and Greater Houston Society of Healthcare Risk Management. He has for several years been selected as a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly magazine. His personal interests include creative writing, birdwatching, wildlife management, fitness, and mentoring.