Computer manufacturing giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has dropped its appeal of a $19 million patent infringement verdict won last year by attorneys from McKool Smith on behalf of technology provider Opti Inc.
The $19 million verdict in Opti Inc. v. Apple Inc., No. 2:07-cv-00021, was handed down in April 2009 by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Apple and Palo Alto, Calif.-based Opti filed a joint motion to dismiss the appeal in OPTi Inc. v. Apple Inc., No. 10-1129, on Dec. 6, 2010, the day before both parties were scheduled to appear before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C.
Jurors in the original trial found that Apple infringed a patent issued to Opti in June 2002. The contested patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,405,291, covers a computer operation that enables a “snooping” function designed to help computers more easily retrieve previously accessed data.
During trial, Opti was represented by a team of attorneys from McKool Smith and Chicago-based Winston & Strawn. The McKool Smith team included Rosemary Snider and Jason Cassady. The Winston & Strawn group included Michael Brody, Taras Gracey, J. Ethan McComb, Eric Mersmann and Sarah Frey.
In the verdict, jurors found that Apple willfully infringed the contested patent. The jury also rejected Apple’s contentions that the patent should be declared invalid. The $19 million verdict amount was awarded as fair and reasonable compensation to Opti for Apple’s willful patent violation, according to the verdict form.
With more than 125 litigators working as an integrated team across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Marshall, New York, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America’s leading trial firms. In fact, over the last two years, the firm has been recognized in The National Law Journal for winning more of the Top 100 Verdicts than any other law firm in the country. The firm represents leading clients across a broad range of practice areas, including complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense.
