Addition of Patent Litigators Brings IP Team to 25 Lawyers
NEW YORK– LAWFUEL – IP Legal Issues –Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, one of the world’s leading law firms, announced today that Bartholomew Verdirame and Tony V. Pezzano have joined the firm as partners and Michael P. Dougherty has joined the firm as special counsel, all in the Intellectual Property Group of the Litigation Department, based in New York. Formerly with Morgan & Finnegan LLP, Messrs. Verdirame, Pezzano, and Dougherty have experience in all aspects of intellectual property law, with a particular focus on patent litigation.
“The strength of Cadwalader’s Litigation Department lies in our special areas of focus — securities, insurance and reinsurance, antitrust, white collar, and, of course, intellectual property litigation,” stated Gregory A. Markel, Chairman of Cadwalader’s Litigation Department. “In planning for growth, we are well along the path in building a “world class” IP practice. With the addition of Bart, Tony and Mike to a team that already includes partners Chris Hughes, Tom Fini, and Debra Steinberg and special counsel Dorothy Auth, Jim Bailey, and John Moehringer, our intellectual property team has grown to 25 attorneys with more expected to join the firm shortly. Of course, they in turn are able to rely on the expertise of more than 150 additional Cadwalader litigators.”
“The establishment and expansion of an Intellectual Property Group has long been a goal of the firm. I am excited by the prospect of further enhancing our litigation, corporate, regulatory, and advisory services. This group is part of the ongoing diversification efforts of Cadwalader’s practices and client base,” said Cadwalader Chairman and Managing Partner Robert O. Link, Jr.
Christopher Hughes, the head of Cadwalader’s Intellectual Property Group, said: “Bart, Tony and Mike are excellent lawyers with outstanding reputations. I am pleased to welcome them to the firm and very much look forward to working with them again. The formidable team we have put together now offers clients a full range of intellectual property legal services, from complex patent and trade secret, ITC, and trademark litigation, to counseling on important patent, trademark, and licensing matters, to patent and trademark preparation and prosecution in virtually every industry.”
“Together with Tony, Mike and the rest of Cadwalder’s IP team, I look forward to expanding our practice. We see opportunities in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petrochemicals, as well as in patent litigation before the International Trade Commission. At Cadwalader, we will be able to call upon colleagues with specific industry experience as well as robust knowledge of antitrust, healthcare, and foreign law,” said Mr. Verdirame.
Mr. Pezzano noted that “Cadwalader provides a wonderful platform for our practice. Clients are interested not only in an attorney’s intellectual property law background, but whether a firm can adequately support their cases. Bart, Mike and I believe that being with a top firm such as Cadwalader will assure our clients that we have the resources and legal talent necessary to handle the most complex cases.”
Mr. Verdirame has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of intellectual property law. He specializes in patent litigation in the areas of pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and engineering and also has extensive experience in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office in complex patent reexaminations and interferences for Fortune 500 companies. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from City College of the City University of New York in 1972 and his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 1975.
Mr. Pezzano concentrates his practice in patent trial and appellate litigation, International Trade Commission proceedings, prosecution of patent and trademark applications, and solicitation and counseling. He has also rendered opinions and provided IP counseling for U.S. and foreign corporate clients. He received his B.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University in 1986 and his J.D. from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1989. He is the President-elect of the International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the American Bar Association (Member, Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Section), the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the New York Intellectual Property Law Association. A prolific author, he also has lectured at American Intellectual Property Law Association, C5 International Patent Litigation, Northwind Professional Institute, and Mealey’s Technology Law Conferences.
Mr. Dougherty has extensive experience in counseling clients in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and has been involved in a variety of patent litigation in the U.S. District Courts and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. He regularly advises on patent issues arising in connection with the development of new pharmaceutical products and the use of biotechnology, including providing opinions regarding patent infringement and validity. He also conducts due diligence investigations concerning intellectual property portfolios and handles section 337 investigations in the U.S. International Trade Commission. He received his B.A. in Biology and English from Case Western Reserve University in 1982 and his J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary in 1985, where he was Executive Editor of the William & Mary Law Review.
About Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, established in 1792, is one of the world’s leading international law firms, with offices in New York, London, Charlotte, Washington and Beijing. Cadwalader serves a diverse client base, including many of the world’s top financial institutions, undertaking business in more than 50 countries in six continents. The firm offers legal expertise in antitrust, banking, business fraud, corporate finance, corporate governance, environmental, healthcare, insolvency, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, private client, private equity, real estate, regulation, securitization, structured finance, and tax. More information about Cadwalader can be found at www.cadwalader.com.
