Frank Mazzeo

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Frank Mazzeo grew up in his family’s restaurant business outside Philadelphia, where he learned early what it meant to build something from the ground up.

That entrepreneurial mindset never left him.

Today, Mazzeo is a partner and co-founder of Ryder, Mazzeo & Konieczny LLC, an intellectual property law firm where he helps businesses protect the trademarks, patents and other intellectual property they have worked hard to create. Since 2017, he has been recognized annually as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in intellectual property.

After graduating from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 1992, Mazzeo spent the first six years of his career in commercial and insurance defense litigation.  He then used his undergraduate science background to become a registered patent attorney and began his career as an intellectual property attorney.  While working at a Philadelphia patent boutique, Mazzeo  found himself drawn more toward trademark law and intellectual property litigation.

“I found those areas of IP law the most interesting,” he said.

Even early in his career, Mazzeo enjoyed developing relationships with clients and building a practice of his own. Eventually, that entrepreneurial drive led him to open a solo practice before joining forces with three fellow patent attorneys to co-found his current firm.

“I would say the most valuable skill is communication with clients,” Mazzeo said. “Listening to clients, knowing how to anticipate clients’ questions, and being able to express ideas in simple terms.”

Over the years, his work has included federal court litigation, international trademark filings and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He has filed and prosecuted more than 500 trademark registration applications worldwide.

One case in particular still stands out.

Mazzeo represented a small family-owned business that was sued by a large international corporation over alleged infringement involving more than 30 patents. Despite facing a national law firm on the other side, Mazzeo’s team secured a favorable result that allowed the company to survive.

“As a small IP firm, we often represent smaller companies against large corporations,” he said.

The field itself has evolved dramatically since he graduated from law school more than three decades ago. Mazzeo said everything from pharmaceuticals to the internet economy has increased society’s reliance on intellectual property law, making it essential for attorneys to constantly stay current on legal developments.

“It is exciting to be part of such a growing area of law,” he said, “but it requires reading updates on the law nearly every day to best be able to advise clients and protect their valuable IP assets.”

Mazzeo credits Widener Law Commonwealth with helping prepare him for that work from the very beginning.

“When I graduated from Widener Law in 1992, I felt a great sense of accomplishment having completed three years of a very challenging education,” he said. “My performance on the bar exam a few months later made me feel Widener Law had prepared me well for a law career.”

One professor, in particular, left a lasting impression.

“Definitely Professor Randy Lee,” Mazzeo said. “I found his approach to explaining the law fascinating. His deep takes on legal concepts made class very interesting.”

He also remembers the environment at Widener Law Commonwealth as supportive while still academically rigorous.

“It was challenging without being cutthroat,” he said. “I received a great legal education without too much of the added stress of competition.”

For Mazzeo, that experience laid the groundwork for a career that has allowed him to combine business, advocacy and problem-solving in a way that still feels rewarding decades later.

“My law degree has provided me with a rewarding career,” he said. “There have been ups and downs, rewards and times of great satisfaction in which I have been able to help people.”

Interview conducted in Summer 2026.