Deanne M. Mazzochi 

Deanne Mazzochi is a founding partner of Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi Siwik LLP. Ms. Mazzochi's practice extends internationally, and ranges from complex litigation, due diligence and opinion counseling to regulatory proceedings and other licensing and transactional work. Her client representation primarily focuses on the intellectual property arena, with an emphasis on Hatch-Waxman patent litigation, but also includes general business and commercial litigation; litigation against FDA and EPA; trademark, trade secret and copyright claims; and antitrust litigation.

Ms. Mazzochi's trial and appellate experience includes multiple appearances before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; various federal district courts, including the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Virginia, District of Arizona, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Southern District of New York, District of New Jersey, District of Delaware, District of Puerto Rico, Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia; the Illinois state courts and administrative agencies; and she further is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants from the pre-suit investigation stage, at preliminary injunction hearings, through discovery, Markman hearings, trial, appellate and post-judgment proceedings. The majority of cases Ms. Mazzochi handles involve patent challenges involving drug products that average annual U.S. sales in the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars.

Ms. Mazzochi also devotes a considerable amount of her practice to counseling clients regarding long-term patent strategies, including developing and protecting intellectual property rights; analyzing the scope and coverage of patents; identifying patent design-around opportunities; and implementing effective licensing strategies both in the U.S. and internationally. In recent years, Ms. Mazzochi has assisted multiple clients looking to develop long-term legal and regulatory strategies to bring generic products to the U.S. market.

The technological fields with which Ms. Mazzochi has experience encompass such diverse areas as pharmaceuticals (including active ingredient, synthesis, formulations and uses); chemistry (organic, inorganic and industrial); biochemistry; cosmetics and skin care; food chemistry; genetics; nanotechnology; electronic circuits; electroplating; telecommunication devices; computer networks, platforms, standards and computer-driven transactions; medical devices and diagnostic tests, catalysts; polymers; photocopiers and printing presses; high tech composite wheels; bentonite clay products; other manufacturing equipment and processes; consumer products and those involving the Internet. Ms. Mazzochi is recognized as having particular expertise in the area of pharmaceutical polymorphs, and is well-versed in various analytical techniques used to test pharmaceutical products, including IR, Raman, NMR, HPLC, TLC, PXRD, DSC, melting point, Karl-Fischer, single crystal analysis, dissolution testing, and the like.

Ms. Mazzochi also has won several judgments in patent infringement and regulatory lawsuits brought under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for pharmaceutical products. Her courtroom victory for Apotex Inc. before the Honorable Richard A. Posner was named a "Defense Win of the Month" in the April 2003 issue of the National Law Journal. Ms. Mazzochi also argued the appeal of this case before the Federal Circuit and obtained a final judgment of invalidity on GlaxoSmithKline's main patent for Paxil®. Ms. Mazzochi served as lead trial and appellate counsel on behalf of Lupin, Ltd. for Lupin's challenge to an Aventis isomer patent on the anti-hypertensive drug ramipril, and secured judgment of invalidity for obviousness before the Federal Circuit. Also on behalf of Lupin, Ms. Mazzochi won summary judgment of noninfringement in the Eastern District of Virginia for Lupin's antibiotic cefdinir product. Along with partner William Rakoczy, Ms. Mazzochi successfully argued the case of Apotex v. Thompson, an action against FDA that secured Apotex a market exclusivity period for generic Paxil®. Ms. Mazzochi also staved off a patentee's preliminary injunction motion against a client's major product introduction after a full two-day evidentiary hearing, uncovering prior art that forced the patentee back into reexamination proceedings, with the asserted claims ultimately rejected by the PTO.

Ms. Mazzochi has been active in various bar associations, and served as a member of the Judges' Intellectual Property Advisory Committee for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.