John A. Tarantino

Biography

John's commitment to cancer care is deeply personal. Following the loss of his wife Pat to Stage IV pancreatic cancer in April 2022, he channeled his grief into purpose, establishing the John and Pat Tarantino Charitable Foundation and dedicated funds at the Brown University Legorreta Cancer Center and Lifespan Cancer Center to support patient care, family services, and groundbreaking cancer research.

A practicing attorney since 1981, John is Senior Counsel and President Emeritus at Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C., one of New England's premier law firms. Over more than 40 years, he has tried landmark civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts, argued before the United States Supreme Court, and represented a wide spectrum of clients including governors, senators, CEOs, boards of directors, international corporations, and professional athletes.

John also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Iylon Precision Oncology, bringing four decades of legal and executive leadership to the company's mission of transforming cancer care through personalized, evidence-based treatment. Appointed CEO in June 2023, he relocated Iylon's corporate headquarters from Houston, TX to Providence, RI, a city where he has deep roots and an extensive network across law, philanthropy, and healthcare. His lived experience gives him a uniquely empathetic perspective as he works to bring precision oncology to every patient who needs it, regardless of geography or circumstance.

Beyond Iylon, John serves as Managing Trustee of the Papitto Opportunity Connection and Managing Director of the John and Pat Tarantino Charitable Foundation. He previously served as President of SPA Ventures, LLC, a nutraceutical brokerage company, reflecting his broad executive leadership across multiple industries.

Legal career and notable cases

John's 40+ year practice at Adler Pollock & Sheehan spans constitutional law, white-collar criminal defense, antitrust, intellectual property, product liability, environmental law, and sports law. He has represented clients before the United States Supreme Court and in major federal and state appellate courts across the country.

Among his landmark representations: the successful defense of Atlantic Richfield Company in the longest jury trial in Rhode Island history; the full acquittal of the Providence Mayor's Chief of Staff in the high-profile "Plunder Dome" federal corruption and bribery investigation; and precedent-setting Supreme Court arguments establishing constitutional protections for state legislators under Rhode Island's speech-in-debate clause.

John lectures widely on trial practice and technique. His 11 legal textbooks and more than 200 published articles in peer and professional journals are widely cited across the profession, covering product liability, discovery, evidence, procedure, legal ethics, and trial strategy.