VPR Brands Retains Top IP Firm McAndrews, Held & Malloy for Key E-Cigarette Patent Strategy
VPR Brands has hired leading intellectual property law firm McAndrews, Held & Malloy to manage the commercialization and enforcement of its foundational auto-draw electronic cigarette patent, positioning the company to capitalize on the active patent enforcement landscape in the FDA-regulated ENDS industry.
VPR Brands, LP has retained McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd. as lead patent counsel for its US Patent No. 8,205,622 B2, a move that signals intensified commercialization and enforcement efforts around technology central to many FDA-authorized electronic nicotine delivery systems. The firm, involved in IP transactions exceeding $15 billion over five years and consistently ranked among top patent practices by IAM Patent 1000, will oversee all aspects of the patent's strategy under lead counsel Matthew McAndrews.
The '622 patent covers foundational auto-draw electronic cigarette technology, specifically draw-activated sensing architectures used in buttonless devices. This technology is broadly relevant to closed-system ENDS products currently authorized for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Premarket Tobacco Product Application process, including major national brands. The patent expires around July 2030 and has survived two inter partes review challenges at the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
McAndrews, Held & Malloy will lead VPR Brands' efforts across patent evaluation, strategic portfolio assessment, commercialization planning, licensing negotiations, and enforcement proceedings. This includes potential patent enforcement in federal district courts and before the United States International Trade Commission under Section 337, where the ENDS industry is experiencing one of its most active periods of patent enforcement. The firm will also provide IP due diligence and M&A support for transactions involving the patent.
VPR Brands has previously executed licensing agreements with more than 17 parties across the ENDS supply chain, including some of the industry's largest brands, manufacturers, distributors, and brand owners. The company's engagement of a top-tier IP firm reflects its commitment to a structured, professionally managed IP commercialization program that encompasses licensing, IP transactions including potential patent acquisition or exclusive licensing arrangements, and enforcement of rights where appropriate.
"We have engaged one of the country's leading IP firms to advance our licensing and commercialization program for US Patent No. 8,205,622 B2," said Kevin Frija, Chief Executive Officer of VPR Brands, LP. "The patent covers foundational auto-draw electronic cigarette technology that is broadly relevant to FDA PMTA-authorized products currently on the market."
The retention positions VPR Brands to participate fully in the current patent enforcement landscape, whether through commercial licensing, structured IP transactions, or enforcement proceedings. McAndrews, Held & Malloy brings specific FDA regulatory IP expertise including patent term extensions, PMTA-related patent analysis, and Orange Book proceedings directly relevant to the ENDS sector. The firm's credentials include being ranked Tier One nationally for Patent Law, IP Litigation, and Trademark Law by US News Best Law Firms 2026 and recognition by Chambers USA Intellectual Property.