Overview
(November 7, 2025, Chicago, IL) – Steptoe LLP has secured a landmark victory for our client, Express Mobile, Inc., in a high-stakes patent infringement case against GoDaddy.com, culminating in a jury verdict awarding $170 million in damages. The win marks a pivotal moment in the enforcement of foundational web-design patents and underscores Steptoe’s significant capabilities in intellectual property litigation.
The case centers on two patents, US Patent Nos. 6,546,397 and 7,594,168, dating back to an application filed in 1999, which are widely recognized as foundational to modern web design and development technology. Express Mobile alleged that GoDaddy's use of website-building tools infringed these patents.
After six years of litigation, including a successful appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit earlier this year, the case proceeded to trial in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. On November 6, following only a few hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Express Mobile, awarding the full damages sought.
"This is an outstanding result for our client that confirms the value of Express Mobile’s foundational patents" said Jay Nuttall, lead trial counsel and co-chair of Steptoe's Intellectual Property group. "We are proud to have helped our client achieve this outcome, which was achieved by a total team effort."
The Federal Circuit’s decision earlier this year was instrumental in paving the way for trial. The appellate court reversed the district court’s narrow construction of the term "runtime engine," vacated the summary judgment of non-infringement, and remanded the case for further proceedings – affirming Express Mobile’s broader interpretation and reinforcing the strength of its claims.
Steptoe's trial team included Jay Nuttall, John Abramic, Robert Kappers, Kate Tellez, Christopher Suarez, and Candice Kwark.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 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, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
