Untitled case

This patent infringement litigation, Case No. 1:26-cv-00059, is unfolding in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, with District Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr. and Magistrate Judge Christopher H. Steger presiding. The lawsuit was initiated on March 6, 2026, by Plaintiff Holley Performance Products Inc. against Defendant Aces Fuel Injection Inc.. Both entities are operating companies engaged in the mechanical engineering and manufacturing sector, specifically focusing on aftermarket electronic fuel injection (EFI) systems.

Holley Performance Products Inc. alleges that Aces Fuel Injection Inc. is infringing U.S. Patent No. 11,409,894. The complaint specifically targets Aces Fuel Injection's aftermarket EFI systems, highlighting patent claims related to an "annular ring" and "fuel distribution ring". A brief technical sketch of U.S. Patent 11,409,894 indicates it pertains to a fuel injection system designed for internal combustion engines, focusing on improved fuel distribution and atomization, likely through specific structural configurations of fuel metering components such as rings within the injector assembly itself. Defendant Aces Fuel Injection Inc. has filed an answer to the complaint, which includes counterclaims against Holley Performance Products Inc.. The case is currently in its discovery phase, with a Patent Case Discovery Conference Order issued on June 8, 2026.

The Eastern District of Tennessee serves as the venue, likely chosen due to the location of one or both parties or significant business operations within the district. The dispute is notable as it involves two active competitors in the aftermarket automotive performance industry, suggesting a direct business rivalry rather than an assertion by a non-practicing entity (NPE) or patent assertion entity (PAE). The focus on specific design elements like an "annular ring" and "fuel distribution ring" within EFI systems points to a technical conflict over core product features in a specialized market. There is no information available at this time to suggest any linked inter partes review (IPR) proceedings or broader industry impact beyond these two companies.

It appears there are multiple cases with the number 1:26-cv-00059 in different district courts (Tennessee Eastern, Colorado, Montana, Iowa Northern, New Jersey, North Carolina Western, and Delaware). This is a common occurrence. I need to focus only on the case in the Tennessee Eastern District Court as specified in the prompt, and ensure it's a patent infringement case involving patent 11409894.

Based on the search results:

• Tennessee Eastern District Court, Case 1:26-cv-00059: This is "Holley Performance Products Inc v. Aces Fuel Injection Inc" and is identified as a patent case (Nature of Suit 830 Patent) and is "Open". It was filed on March 6, 2026.
• Other cases with the same number are for different courts and different natures of suit (e.g., Copyright Infringement, Diversity-Tort/Motor Vehicle, Social Security, Trade Secrets). I will ignore these.

I can now proceed to extract details for the "Holley Performance Products Inc v. Aces Fuel Injection Inc" case.

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Key Legal Developments and Outcome for Holley Performance Products Inc v. Aces Fuel Injection Inc (1:26-cv-00059)

Court: Tennessee Eastern District Court
Case Number: 1:26-cv-00059
Patents at issue: 11409894
Status: Active

Chronological Developments:

• 2026-03-06: Complaint Filed. Holley Performance Products Inc. filed a patent infringement complaint against Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The case is classified as a patent nature of suit (830 Patent) and is currently open.
• 2026-03-25: Defendant's Answer and Counterclaim. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. filed its Answer to the Complaint and also asserted Counterclaims against Holley Performance Products Inc.
• 2026-04-02: Joint Motion for Extension of Time. Holley Performance Products Inc. filed a Joint Motion for Extension of Time to File, requesting more time for the Defendant to file an amended answer and counterclaims, and for the Plaintiff to respond to those amended counterclaims. An order was issued for the parties to confer and return a form within the provided time.
• 2026-04-23: Order Granting Extension of Time. The Magistrate Judge Christopher H Steger granted the motion for extension of time. The defendant, Aces Fuel Injection, Inc., was ordered to file any amended answer and/or counterclaims by May 8, 2026. Holley Performance Products Inc. was then to answer or otherwise respond to any such counterclaims by May 22, 2026.
• 2026-05-08: Amended Answer and Counterclaim Filed. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. filed an Amended Answer to the Complaint and also included Counterclaims against Holley Performance Products Inc.

As of the current date, July 24, 2026, the case is still active. The docket entries primarily reflect the initial pleadings and scheduling related to those pleadings. No information regarding pre-trial motions of substance (such as motions to dismiss, transfer, or stay pending IPR), claim construction, extensive discovery milestones, trial events, verdict, or post-trial motions is publicly available yet, which is expected given the recent filing date.

Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings:
A search for IPR/PGR proceedings related to patent 11409894 did not yield any active or completed proceedings. This specific information would require more direct access to USPTO PTAB databases than current search results provide for this new case.

Final Disposition or Present Posture:
The case is currently active and in the early stages of litigation, with the parties having exchanged initial and amended pleadings.Holley Performance Products Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, case number 1:26-cv-00059. The case, involving patent 11409894, was initiated on March 6, 2026, and is currently active and in its early stages.

Key legal developments include:

• 2026-03-06: Complaint Filed. Holley Performance Products Inc. initiated the patent infringement action against Aces Fuel Injection, Inc.
• 2026-03-25: Defendant's Answer and Counterclaim. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. responded by filing its Answer to the Complaint, which also included Counterclaims against Holley Performance Products Inc.
• 2026-04-02: Joint Motion for Extension of Time. Both parties filed a joint motion seeking an extension for the defendant to submit an amended answer and counterclaims, and for the plaintiff to reply to these amended counterclaims. The court issued an order directing the parties to confer on the matter.
• 2026-04-23: Order Granting Extension. Magistrate Judge Christopher H. Steger granted the extension. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. was directed to file any amended answer and/or counterclaims by May 8, 2026, with Holley Performance Products Inc. to respond by May 22, 2026.
• 2026-05-08: Amended Answer and Counterclaim Filed. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. subsequently filed an Amended Answer to the Complaint, including its Counterclaims.

As of July 24, 2026, the case remains active. The proceedings have primarily focused on the initial pleadings. There is no publicly available information at this stage regarding substantive pre-trial motions (such as motions to dismiss, transfer, or stay pending IPR), claim construction (Markman) outcomes, significant discovery milestones, trial events, verdict, or post-trial motions.

No parallel PTAB IPR (inter partes review) or PGR (post-grant review) proceedings concerning patent 11409894 have been publicly identified through general web searches.

Based on available docket information for case 1:26-cv-00059 in the Tennessee Eastern District Court, the primary identified counsel of record representing the plaintiff, Holley Performance Products Inc., is:

• Name: John P. Rondini
• Role: Lead Counsel (appearing pro hac vice)
• Firm: Brooks Kushman P.C.
• Office Location: Royal Oak, Michigan
• Experience Note: Mr. Rondini is a Co-Chair of Litigation at Brooks Kushman P.C., with extensive experience in patent litigation at both district court and appellate levels, as well as before the International Trade Commission. He has managed all stages of litigation from pre-suit through trial and appeal, and has significant experience with patent prosecution and inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, including handling 25 IPRs that invalidated hundreds of patent claims.

As of the available information, no specific local counsel admitted to the Eastern District of Tennessee has been explicitly named in the provided docket snippets for Holley Performance Products Inc. While Mr. Rondini is appearing pro hac vice, which typically requires association with local counsel, the accessible details do not specify who that local attorney might be.

Counsel for Defendant Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. in Holley Performance Products Inc. v. Aces Fuel Injection, Inc.

In the patent infringement case 1:26-cv-00059 filed in the Tennessee Eastern District Court, defendant Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. is represented by the following counsel:

• Attorney: Name to be determined
  • Role: Role to be determined (e.g., Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Firm name and office location to be determined
  • Relevant Experience: One-line note on relevant patent litigation experience or notable past cases to be determined

Details:

Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. has filed an Amended Answer and Counterclaims in the case. However, the initial search results do not explicitly list the names of the attorneys or their firms representing Aces Fuel Injection, Inc. for these filings. The provided information primarily highlights counsel for the plaintiff, Holley Performance Products Inc., including Miller & Martin PLLC and John P. Rondini of Brooks Kushman P.C., who filed a motion for leave to appear pro hac vice.

Further specific docket review or direct PACER access is required to identify the counsel of record who have appeared on behalf of the defendant, Aces Fuel Injection, Inc., and to gather details on their roles, firms, and experience.