Overview
(October 10, 2018, Washington, DC) — Steptoe has helped Panduit Corp. score four more wins at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
On April 15, 2016, Corning Optical Communications filed suit against Panduit, alleging that Panduit infringes patents relating to high-density fiber optic systems (Panduit’s HD Flex products), cassette and harness assemblies for interconnecting optical devices (Panduit’s QuickNet products), and fiber optic connectors (Panduit’s OptiCam products). In response to the lawsuit, Panduit challenged all eight patents before the PTAB, alleging that claims in the asserted patents were invalid.
During the first week of October 2018, the PTAB issued four final written decisions in Panduit’s favor, determining that Panduit had shown, by a preponderance of evidence, that all challenged claims were invalid. Panduit has now received favorable final written decisions in nine of its ten challenges before the PTAB. The underlying lawsuit, pending in Delaware, is currently stayed.
In a separate action, Panduit has filed suit against Corning, Inc. alleging that Corning has infringed two patents relating to the selection of high-performance, multi-mode optical fiber (Panduit’s Signature Core products).
The Steptoe IP team representing Panduit in all of these matters is led by partner Kelly Eberspecher along with partner Dan Stringfield, both based in the firm’s Chicago office, and associate Katherine Cappaert based in the firm’s Washington, DC office.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
