Anthony Piazza

Rochester Business Journal Staff//July 17, 2026//

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Partner, Barclay Damon LLP

Years in current role: 24

What is one challenge currently facing the legal profession that deserves more attention?

Artificial intelligence will significantly affect the manner in which we practice law. This is a work in progress, and younger attorneys have already begun to adopt this powerful tool. Of course, we need to proceed cautiously, as evidenced by some case decisions pointing out the hazards of inappropriately relying upon faulty AI research. Our firm is being proactive in this regard, including researching best practices being used by other firms across the country.

How do you balance legal expertise with client service and relationship-building?

I’m fortunate to have clients in many industries — I either handle their cases myself or refer them to specialists in our firm. My work over the years involving insurance coverage disputes includes client interviews, investigation, analysis, research and litigation. As for client service, I’ve put into practice some advice my father gave me while I was in law school — to return phone calls (and emails) very quickly, in order to demonstrate to clients that I care about their issue and that they can rely upon me to follow through on obtaining a solution. As for relationship-building, over the years I became active in community organizations which I care about (e.g., The Hochstein School) and national trade organizations.

What is one accomplishment — professional or personal — that you are especially proud of?

I helped create and build Barclay Damon’s Insurance Coverage Practice Area, by hiring some very bright attorneys who work well together and deliver excellent results for our clients. Fortunately, some of these team members have been promoted, including to partnerships and positions of leadership within the firm.

This profile is part of our Litigation Power List for 2026. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at rbj.net.