Patent Law

ACLU Suit Challenges Patents on Genes as First Amendment Violation

A suit filed by in New York federal court challenges patents granted to a company for two genes that can be tested to determine a person’s increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers. The suit argues such patents impede the free flow of information and violate the First Amendment, according…

May 13, 2009 7:01 PM CDT

Akin Gump Hit with $72.6M Malpractice Verdict

Updated: Jurors in a San Antonio federal trial have awarded plaintiffs $72.6 million in a malpractice case against Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The firm plans to appeal. And in a statement released to the ABA Journal late this evening, Akin Gump says, it “is disappointed with the verdict,…

May 8, 2009 5:59 PM CDT

Lawyers Say Embarrassing Voice Mail of Marvell GC May Have Been Edited

A voice mail message by lawyers on a speakerphone that didn’t get disconnected before some embarrassing discussions took place is being challenged by a company that wants to keep the recording out of an upcoming trade secrets trial. Lawyers for Marvell Semiconductor say the tape should be tossed because it…

May 7, 2009 12:05 PM CDT

Wham-Owed

If you think that all kids want these days is a Wii, a Nintendo DS or the latest PlayStation, then a series of recent lawsuits may make you think twice.

May 2, 2009 3:30 AM CDT

Intellectual Property Boutique Is Hot for New Recruits

The last time patent litigator Bert Ehrlich experienced a downturn in the economy, his law firm missed the boat. Not this time. Ehrlich, a partner at the intellectual property boutique Ladas & Parry, sees his firm as a beacon of hope to disgruntled BigLaw partners and associates. Business at Ladas…

Apr 28, 2009 5:31 PM CDT

Barnes Firm Raids Bryan Cave to Open Atlanta Office, Plans More Hiring

A more than 500-attorney Indianapolis-based law firm is opening its first office in the Southeast, raiding two partners from the Atlanta office of Bryan Cave Powell Goldstein to establish a foothold in the city. Although Barnes & Thornburg is opening its Atlanta outpost with Stuart Johnson and Jason Bernstein, it…

Apr 6, 2009 9:43 PM CDT

Ex-Client Seeks $10M Legal Fees Clawback Over Ill-Fated Patent Litigation

A former client is suing two law firms in an effort to recapture some $10 million in legal fees and costs from ill-fated patent infringement litigation. E-Pass Technologies is asserting negligent misrepresentation claims against the company’s former counsel in its California lawsuit, reports the Recorder. The defendants are New York…

Mar 24, 2009 6:36 PM CDT

A Peek Inside Government Secrecy

It comes as no surprise to most that secrecy in government has been on the rise in recent years, but the amount of that secrecy may still stun you.

Mar 2, 2009 4:00 AM CST

Tool against ‘trolls’

Bothered by “patent trolls,” those pesky creatures who wait for inventions to hit the market and then cry, “I’ve got your patent; now pay me”? John Amster says he has a solution.

Mar 2, 2009 3:00 AM CST

Fish & Richardson Accused of Dropping Then Suing Client, Quickly

A former Fish & Richardson client says the law firm dumped it as a client, then turned around the next day and sued it for patent infringement on behalf of a rival company. Aliph Inc., which makes Bluetooth headsets, is seeking to disqualify the law firm, the Recorder reports. Aliph…

Feb 25, 2009 3:55 PM CST

Legal: Speedo LZR Racer; Not: Alleged Target Version of ‘Foxers’ Line?

In the hotly contested world of competitive sports, high-tech materials and innovative designs can shave critical seconds off an athlete’s time. So use of certain equipment, such as the Speedo LZR Racer suit many consider state-of-the-art, has been hotly debated in the governing bodies of various sports, and even the…

Feb 21, 2009 1:24 AM CST

Microsoft Obtains 10,000th Patent

Microsoft now holds 10,000 U.S. patents, a milestone the company attributes to an effort to maximize the value of its research and development. “We feel that patents are the currency of innovation,” Microsoft’s chief patent counsel, Bart Eppenauer, told Managing Intellectual Property. Microsoft does not hold the record for U.S.…

Feb 18, 2009 5:17 PM CST

Perkins Coie Sues Ex-Associate, Seeks Tuition Loan Repayment

Perkins Coie has sued a former associate in its Menlo Park, Calif., office. The law firm contends that he reneged on a written agreement to repay up to $30,000 that it agreed to lend him to pay his tuition and related expenses while he was still a law student. Its…

Feb 12, 2009 12:42 AM CST

Tech Clients Claim Foley & Lardner Overbilled, Underrepresented

Three tech company clients have sued Foley & Lardner, contending that the law firm overbilled them for unnecessary work and didn’t effectively pursue their case as plaintiffs in federal patent infringement case in the Eastern District of Texas. The suit seeks $1 million in damages, claiming that Foley breached a…

Feb 3, 2009 10:58 PM CST

Four Firms Adding Office Space, Lawyers in Chicago

Breaking away from reports of attorney layoffs, this week we spoke to four law firms taking advantage of the recent spate of law firm mergers and downsizing to hire pools of lateral attorneys—hopefully with big books of clients—and expand niche practices in Chicago. “There’s two seasons in Chicago: winter and…

Jan 29, 2009 10:17 PM CST