Lippes Mathias partner Tony V. Pezzano, a member of the firm's intellectual property practice team, will speak at the American Conference Institute's 2nd Annual Forum on Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation USA & Canada, held Oct. 14-16, 2026, at 3 Times Square in New York. Pezzano will appear Oct. 14 at 2:30 p.m. during the conference's "Litigation Magnifying Glass" portion on a panel titled "Patent Trolls in 2026." 

The session will examine the current state of non-practicing entities (NPEs) in the patent system and assess the threats they pose to biopharma patents, comparing the NPE threats of 2026 to those of the past. Panelists will also offer systematic and strategic solutions to the patent troll problem. 

The forum brings together in-house and law firm patent litigation counsel from across the United States and Canada for two days of programming on life sciences patent litigation, followed by a third day focused on developments in the European Union. 

About Tony V. Pezzano 

In his more than 35-year career as a patent litigator, Tony V. Pezzano has successfully tried patent infringement cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants involving technology innovation across a diverse range of industries—particularly consumer, recreational, and pharmaceutical products; chemical and petroleum products and processes; wireless telecommunication devices and equipment; computer software, hardware, and systems; video and audio broadcast equipment, systems, and networks; and printing engines and systems. He has appeared in 22 trials and hearings in the federal district courts, including both bench and jury trials, and International Trade Commission (ITC) Section 337 investigations. 

Pezzano's success is no less significant in representing plaintiffs in trademark infringement, counterfeit infringement, dilution, unfair competition and false advertising cases in federal district courts throughout the country and ITC Section 337 investigations. Pezzano has obtained numerous permanent injunctions, preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders for clients in a wide range of industries, including childcare services, cell phone chargers, dumpster rentals, restaurants and boba tea. 

One of Pezzano's major areas of focus has been his representation of brand pharmaceutical companies in suits against generic drug companies under the Hatch-Waxman Act. He has served as lead counsel for brand pharmaceutical companies in more than two dozen filed Hatch-Waxman cases involving antibiotic, antifungal, treatment of asthma, treatment of male pattern baldness, anti-organ transplant rejection, and antiviral and anticoagulant drug products. 

ITC Section 337 investigations are another of Pezzano's major focuses. He has successfully represented both complainants and respondents in ITC Section 337 investigations involving lithium batteries, biologics, SeaDoos/WaveRunners, wireless communication devices, including mobile phones and tablets, computer routers, Segway/hoverboards, eye cosmetics and synthetic braiding hair. Pezzano is a past president (2009) of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association. 

Pezzano has also successfully represented companies in a variety of Customs and Border Protection, PTAB, and TTAB proceedings, and defended companies in a variety of different industries against patent trolls, receiving favorable press (e.g., IPWatchdog® (March 9, 2022)) for his creative strategies in such cases. 

Many significant companies around the world have called on Pezzano for representation in large-scale patent litigation in the federal district courts and ITC. Few attorneys, if any, can match Pezzano's record of obtaining numerous temporary restraining orders and preliminary and permanent injunctions in federal district court cases as well as exclusion, cease and desist and consent orders and default judgments in ITC Section 337 investigations. 

Pezzano has also prosecuted patent and trademark applications and rendered opinions and counseling for U.S. and foreign corporate clients involving intellectual property matters. 

Pezzano has been a frequent author and lecturer on patent litigation topics, including Hatch-Waxman and biopharma patent litigation, FRAND-encumbered standard essential patents, and ITC Section 337 investigations. He has been consistently ranked in the Legal 500 US and listed in the IAM Patent 1000, which called him a "top-notch and untiring litigator… the first in the door and the last out." He was named to The Best Lawyers in America list in 2023. 

About Lippes Mathias LLP 

Lippes Mathias is a full-service law firm ranked among the top 200 law firms in the U.S. by size, with nearly 230 attorneys serving clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. With offices in Buffalo, Clarence, Albany, Long Island, New York, Rochester, Syracuse, and Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Greater Toronto Area; Chicago, Ill.; Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and West Palm Beach, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohio; San Antonio, Texas; Oklahoma City, Okla. and Washington, D.C., the firm represents publicly and privately-owned companies, private equity and venture capital firms, independent sponsors, real estate developers, financial institutions, municipalities, governmental entities, and individuals.