Beck Redden

1. Jury Rejects Antitrust Claims In Houston Hospital Spat

Monday, Mar 15, 2010

Following a two-month trial, a Houston jury has found that the region's largest hospital system did not run afoul of Texas antitrust law despite claims from six doctors that it pressured insurers not to add competing hospitals to their coverage networks.

2. Smith & Nephew Wins $4.7M In Arthrex Patent Spat

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010

A federal jury has awarded $4.7 million to Smith & Nephew PLC in its infringement suit against Arthrex Inc. over a patent for a button used to hold tissues in place for knee reconstruction surgery.

3. Judge Narrows Arguments In Arthrex Patent Trial

Monday, Feb 08, 2010

In a boost to defendant Arthrex Inc., a federal judge has granted the orthopedic device maker's bid to prohibit rival Smith & Nephew PLC from making arguments at trial as to whether Arthrex literally infringed certain elements of two patents covering a button used to hold tissues in place for knee reconstruction surgery.

4. IP Innovation Calls Off Patent Feud With Google

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010

A federal judge has granted a request by IP Innovation LLC and Technology Licensing Corp. to throw out their patent infringement claims against Google Inc. over its search engine and popular Google Earth program.

5. Houston Hospital, Investors In Rival Settle Antitrust Spat

Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010

The Houston area's largest hospital system has reached a second settlement over claims that it pressured insurers not to add competing hospitals to their coverage networks, resolving claims by the largest group of investor doctors who claimed their own hospital was forced out of business because of the system's actions.

6. Court Rejects Moves To Toss Fractus Antenna Suit

Friday, Jan 08, 2010

Adopting several recommendations by a magistrate judge, a federal court has refused to dismiss Fractus SA’s patent infringement claims against Sharp Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. over internal antenna technology.

7. Patent Suit Over Google Products Survives Bid To Toss

Thursday, Jan 07, 2010

A federal court has denied Google Inc.'s second attempt to squash two technology companies' patent infringement claims related to its search engine and Google Earth, again discounting the Internet giant's argument that the plaintiffs lack standing.

8. Centocor Seeks Continuing Damages Over Humira

Monday, Jan 04, 2010

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. has filed a new suit against Abbott Laboratories, seeking continuing damages as Abbott appeals a $1.85 billion judgment that its arthritis treatment Humira infringes a patent held by the Johnson & Johnson unit.

9. Susman Godfrey, Positive Software Settle Fraud Suit

Tuesday, Dec 22, 2009

Software maker Positive Software Solutions Inc. has struck a deal to end its fraud suit against Susman Godfrey LLP and others for allegedly mishandling evidence in the defense of an underlying copyright infringement case.

10. Abbott Appeals $1.9B Hit In Patent Suit Over Humira

Tuesday, Dec 22, 2009

Abbott Laboratories is appealing a $1.85 billion judgment imposed against it after a jury found that the drugmaker's arthritis treatment Humira infringed a patent asserted by Johnson & Johnson unit Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.

11. Interest Pushes Humira Award Up To $1.85B

Friday, Dec 18, 2009

A federal judge has ordered Abbott Laboratories to pay Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. interest of nearly $176 million on the record $1.67 billion judgment he awarded the Johnson & Johnson unit after a jury found that Abbott's arthritis drug Humira infringed a Centocor patent.

12. $1.7B Centocor Patent Award Against Abbott Stands

Thursday, Nov 05, 2009

A federal judge has upheld a jury verdict awarding Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. and New York University a record $1.67 billion for their claims that Abbott Laboratories' flagship arthritis drug Humira infringed their patent.

13. Texas High Court Clarifies Railroad Tort Law

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2009

Texas' high court has ruled in favor of Union Pacific Railroad Co. in a wrongful death suit, finding that the company had no obligation to keep its railroad crossings clear of sight obstructions and clarifying federal preemption of state tort law claims related to motorist warnings.

14. Software Co. Seeks Docs From Baker Botts, Susman

Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009

Positive Software Solutions Inc. has asked a federal court to compel evidence from Baker Botts LLP and its client Susman Godfrey LLP, which represented New Century Holdings Inc. in a copyright lawsuit against the software company and allegedly withheld evidence and concealed key information.

15. Google Lobbyist To Give Limited Testimony In IP Suit

Thursday, Oct 08, 2009

Google Inc., the defendant in a patent infringement suit over adaptive Internet searches, has successfully reduced the scope of the deposition of one of its key lobbyists, whom plaintiff PA Advisors LLC had wanted to testify about the search giant's policies relating to its intellectual property and to the changes it seeks for U.S. patent laws.

16. Proskauer Evades Securities Claim In Tax Shelter Suit

Wednesday, Sep 30, 2009

A judge has dismissed a federal securities fraud claim brought by investors against Proskauer Rose LLP — the sole remaining defendant in a suit that targeted accounting firms, Sidley Austin LLP and others — for its alleged role in an illegal tax scheme.

17. Georgia-Pacific On Hook For Ark. Mine Cleanup

Friday, Aug 21, 2009

A federal judge has ruled that paper products company Georgia-Pacific Corp. and specialty minerals company Milwhite Inc. can't be deemed wholly exempt from liability for cleanup costs at a decades-old Arkansas mining site, which so far have been mostly assessed against Halliburton Energy Services Inc.

18. Google Fights To Block Counsel Deposition In IP Suit

Tuesday, Aug 18, 2009

In a suit accusing Google Inc. and a dozen other Internet companies of infringing a patent for online search software, the technology giant has asked a federal judge to quash PA Advisors LLC's subpoena for the deposition of its policy counsel, calling the request irrelevant.

19. Amazon, JPMorgan Settle Data Encryption Patent Suit

Friday, Jul 31, 2009

Amazon.com Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have settled with TQP Development LLC in litigation accusing nearly two dozen banks, several major credit card companies and others of infringing a patent related to an online encrypted data transmission method.

20. Abbott Hit With $1.7B Verdict In IP Suit Over Humira

Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009

A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has hit Abbott Laboratories with possibly the largest patent verdict in U.S. history, awarding Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor Inc. $1.67 billion and finding that Abbott's flagship arthritis drug Humira infringed a Centocor patent.