Untitled case

This patent infringement litigation, case number 2:25-cv-00935, is unfolding in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, presided over by District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. The plaintiff is OptimNet LLC, which has asserted U.S. Patent No. 10,020,961 against defendant Cisco Systems, Inc. The case was filed on September 4, 2025. The Eastern District of Texas is a well-known venue for patent litigation, often favored by patent plaintiffs due to its reputation for efficiently moving patent cases to trial and its experience with such disputes. This district gained significant traction as a patent hotspot almost two decades ago by adopting patent local rules and is known for being plaintiff-friendly.

OptimNet LLC is likely a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE), as its primary business appears to be patent monetization rather than producing goods or services, given its appearance in patent litigation databases. The defendant, Cisco Systems, Inc., is a multinational technology conglomerate that develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products. The specific accused products, services, or technology from Cisco are not explicitly detailed in the immediately available search snippets, though the original complaint would delineate these.

The sole patent at issue is US Patent No. 10,020,961. A one-line technical sketch of this patent, based on general patent information, would likely concern network optimization, data transmission, or resource allocation within a computing or communication network, aligning with potential infringements by a networking giant like Cisco. The case is notable primarily due to the venue's history as a patent litigation hub and Judge Gilstrap's extensive experience with patent cases, suggesting a structured and potentially expedited litigation process. While the specific allegations of infringement are not fully detailed in public summaries, the nature of the parties and the venue suggest a standard patent assertion strategy by OptimNet against a major technology company.

The patent infringement litigation Optimnet LLC v. Cisco Systems Inc. (2:25-cv-00935), filed in the Eastern District of Texas, concerns at least U.S. Patent No. 8,780,887 and U.S. Patent No. 10,020,961. The case remains active.

Key legal developments are as follows:

• Filing & Initial Pleadings:

  • 2025-09-04: Optimnet LLC filed a patent infringement complaint against Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, initiating case 2:25-cv-00935.

• Parallel PTAB IPR Proceedings:

  • 2026-03-27: Cisco Systems, Inc. filed a Petition for Inter Partes Review (IPR) against U.S. Patent No. 8,780,887, owned by Optimnet LLC. This IPR, designated IPR2026-00320, explicitly references the district court case 2:25-cv-00935. The petition claims there is a reasonable likelihood that Cisco will prevail in demonstrating the unpatentability of at least one of the claims.
  • 2026-03-27: On the same day, Cisco Systems, Inc. also filed a Petition for Inter Partes Review (IPR) against U.S. Patent No. 10,020,961, also owned by Optimnet LLC. This IPR is designated IPR2026-00322 and also references the district court case 2:25-cv-00935. Both IPR petitions are currently pending.

The plaintiff, OptimNet LLC, in the patent infringement case 2:25-cv-00935 in the Eastern District of Texas, is represented by attorneys from Gillam & Smith LLP. The firm has offices in Marshall and Tyler, Texas.

The following attorneys from Gillam & Smith LLP are associated with the plaintiff:

• Harry L. "Gil" Gillam, Jr.
  • Role: Partner, likely lead counsel.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall, Texas.
  • Note: Mr. Gillam is a highly experienced trial attorney, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and has decades of experience in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property matters, particularly in the Eastern District of Texas. He has been selected to Super Lawyers for Intellectual Property Litigation from 2006-2026.
• Melissa R. Smith
  • Role: Partner.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall/Tyler, Texas.
  • Note: Ms. Smith's practice areas include Intellectual Property Litigation.
• Andrew T. "Tom" Gorham
  • Role: Partner.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall/Tyler, Texas.
  • Note: Mr. Gorham's practice areas include Intellectual Property Litigation.
• J. Travis Underwood
  • Role: Partner.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall/Tyler, Texas.
  • Note: Mr. Underwood's practice areas include Intellectual Property Litigation.
• McKellar Karr
  • Role: Associate.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall/Tyler, Texas.
  • Note: Mr. Karr is an associate at a firm with a focus on patent litigation.

Erik de la Iglesia is also noted as "Supporting OptimNet" in connection with this case, but his specific role (e.g., in-house counsel, expert, or other supporting role) as formal counsel of record in the district court could not be definitively determined from the publicly available search results. No explicit filings or appearances for other attorneys, such as Michael E. Jones of Potter Minton, as counsel of record for OptimNet LLC in this specific case, were found in the provided search results.

The defendant in OptimNet LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (2:25-cv-00935) is Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco's in-house IP litigation team manages its patent litigation matters globally, and works with outside counsel.

While specific counsel of record for this particular case were not explicitly listed in the search results, Cisco generally retains a combination of in-house counsel and experienced outside law firms for patent litigation.

Cisco In-House Counsel (Examples of key IP Litigation personnel):

• Sarita Venkat: Vice President & Deputy General Counsel of Global Litigation. She oversees Cisco's global litigation efforts, including patent matters.
• Jennifer Yokoyama: Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the Legal Innovation Strategy Team at Cisco. Her team is responsible for legal support and expertise for IP, among other areas. Before going in-house, she was an IP litigator and partner at McDermott, Will & Emery and White & Case.
• John Zhu: Director, Associate General Counsel within Cisco Systems' intellectual property group. He manages some of Cisco's patent litigation matters and evaluates third-party IP threats. Prior to Cisco, he defended companies against Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs) at O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Mayer Brown LLP.
• Dan Lang: Vice President, Intellectual Property at Cisco Systems. He leads the team responsible for Cisco's overall intellectual property strategy, including disputes.

Outside Counsel (Likely firms based on Cisco's past patent litigation):

Cisco frequently engages prominent law firms with strong patent litigation practices. For example, a team of Gibson Dunn attorneys, led by Brian Rosenthal, along with Potter Minton attorneys Mike Jones and Shaun Hassett, recently secured a complete victory for Cisco in a patent trial in the Western District of Texas. It's common for large corporations to use both national and local counsel in venues like the Eastern District of Texas.

The current docket for OptimNet LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (2:25-cv-00935) would identify the specific attorneys who have entered an appearance for Cisco in this case. Without direct access to the full, unredacted docket from PACER, a definitive list of counsel of record cannot be provided at this time. However, it's highly probable that a combination of in-house counsel and external litigation specialists from well-regarded patent litigation firms represent Cisco.