Jennifer Persico has over 25 years of courtroom experience representing clients in civil rights (§ 1983), municipal law, Article 78 proceedings, trust and estate litigation, and tax enforcement. She has defended municipalities and public officials in some of the most consequential constitutional and regulatory matters in New York, including cases involving Monell claims, prosecutorial liability, and post-Tyler v. Hennepin tax foreclosure enforcement. Her team is among the few in the state with experience successfully navigating tax law reforms following the 2023 RPTL amendments. 

Ms. Persico also provides day-to-day legal and strategic counsel to public entities and municipal leaders, frequently advising on governance, legislative drafting, and land use regulation. Known for her sound judgment and pragmatic approach, she is often brought in when discretion, legal acuity, and institutional insight are equally required. 

As a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Ms. Persico has helped lead Lippes Mathias through a period of transformative growth—from 40 attorneys in two offices in 2015 to more than 220 attorneys across 16 offices nationwide and in Canada. She is also the firm’s first female Executive Committee member. 

In the public sector, Ms. Persico previously served as Majority Counsel to the Erie County Legislature and chaired the Board of Erie County Medical Center Corporation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In that role, she led the Board through one of its most critical operational periods, overseeing infrastructure development, vaccine rollout, and institutional stabilization during the public health crisis. 

A lifelong Western New Yorker, Ms. Persico continues to serve her community through roles on the boards of the NFTA, the Peace Bridge Authority, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. She has been named to The Best Lawyers in America© since 2018 and has also been recognized in Chambers USA each year since 2021. 


ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York

Education
  • University at Buffalo School of Law, J.D.
  • University at Buffalo, B.S. 

Honors & Awards
  • City & State New York, Power of Diversity: Women 100 List, 2023
  • Buffalo Business First, Power 200 Women List, 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 2018-2025
  • Upstate New York SuperLawyers®, 2019-2024
  • Business First of Buffalo and Buffalo Law Journal, Legal Elite of WNY, 2017-2020
  • Chambers USA: Americas Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: General Commercial (Upstate New York) 

Professional Associations
  • The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace, Qualified Bond Counsel 

Community Involvement
  • Erie County Medical Center, Board of Directors, Former Chair
  • Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Board of Commissioners  
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association, Director & Treasurer 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
  • “Local Government Property Acquisition: In REM Update and Environmental Liability Considerations,” The County Attorneys’ Association of the State of New York (CAASNY), Annual Meeting, Albany, NY, September 14, 2021
  • “Working Together Empowering Women to Succeed," Panel Speaker, Erie County Medical Center Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, April 15, 2021
  • New York State's Brownfield Cleanup Program Overview, Co-presenter, The County Attorneys’ Association of the State of New York (CAASNY), Albany, NY, December 7, 2020
  • 35th Annual Greater Buffalo Environmental Conference, Speaker, New York Water Environment Association, March 21, 2017
  • Cybersecurity 2.0 Seminar, Co-presenter, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, March 15, 2017
  • Winter Legislative Conference, Presenter, New York State Association of County Directors, February 2, 2016
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze traffic. To learn more about cookies and how we use them, please review our Privacy Policy. To continue use of this website, you must provide your consent to its use of cookies by clicking the "Accept" button.