Untitled case

This patent infringement lawsuit was initiated by Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC (AICP), a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE) formed in Texas in June 2024. AICP's managing member and sole owner is AMTL LLC, a Delaware-formed entity. Both AICP and a related entity, Advanced Memory Technologies LLC, share the same Allen, Texas address, consistent with an NPE operational model. AICP acquired the patents-in-suit from Winbond Electronics (Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan), which had previously obtained them from Panasonic Corporation. The defendants are United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), both leading global semiconductor foundries. AICP alleges that UMC infringes the asserted patents through the manufacture and sale of semiconductor devices, specifically identifying the Qualcomm MDM9625M and Microsemi MPF300T-FCG484E devices, as well as products made using UMC's 22nm and 28nm process nodes. For TSMC, the accused products include semiconductor devices, such as certain Apple, Broadcom, and Qualcomm chips, manufactured using various process nodes, including FinFET technology.

The case is being litigated in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, before District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, under case number 2:24-cv-00730. A related case against TSMC (2:24-cv-00623-JRG) has been consolidated for pretrial proceedings, with the UMC case serving as the lead. The Eastern District of Texas is a well-known venue for patent litigation, often favored by plaintiffs due to its reputation as a "rocket docket" with a rapid litigation timetable, specific local rules for patent cases, and a history of plaintiff-friendly outcomes. A second docket control order issued on February 21, 2025, sets a jury selection date for June 22, 2026.

The core of the dispute centers on US Patent 8198686, titled "Semiconductor device." This patent broadly describes a semiconductor device incorporating n- and p-type metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) transistors with gate electrodes made of different metal materials, designed for high-precision formation and reduced isolation region width. This case is notable due to AICP's apparent status as a PAE asserting patents originally developed by Panasonic against major semiconductor foundries, UMC and TSMC, in a plaintiff-friendly venue. Both defendants have actively challenged the patents, with TSMC filing petitions for inter partes review (IPR) of the '686 patent and others. UMC also filed a motion to dismiss AICP's claims for direct and pre-suit indirect infringement, which Judge Gilstrap denied on September 30, 2025.

Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC (AICP) filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Texas Eastern District Court (Case No. 2:24-cv-00730) against United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), which has been designated as the lead case. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) is also a defendant in a related member case (2:24-cv-00623). The lawsuit involves US Patent 8,198,686, among others, and is currently active.

Here's a chronological breakdown of the key legal developments:

Filing & Initial Pleadings:

• 2024-09-06: Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC filed the patent infringement lawsuit against United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Plaintiff also sued Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) in a related case. The asserted patents, including US Patent 8,198,686, were acquired by AICP from Winbond Electronics (Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan) in late July 2024.
• 2024-10-02: A waiver of service was returned executed by Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC for United Microelectronics Corporation. UMC's answer was due by December 6, 2024.
• 2024-09-25 - 2024-10-03: Attorneys including Ravi Paul Singh Bhalla, Justin Adatto Nelson, and Ian M. Gore appeared on behalf of Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC.

Pre-trial Motions of Substance:

• 2025-02-14: The court issued an initial Docket Control Order, setting key deadlines for the case.
• 2025-02-21: A Second Docket Control Order was issued, amending some of the previously set deadlines. This order indicated that a jury selection was scheduled for June 22, 2026. It also stated that responses to dispositive motions (including Daubert motions) were due by March 31, 2026.
• 2025-06-20: Defendant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC) filed a motion for the issuance of a letter rogatory to Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan. TSMC sought assistance from Japanese authorities to obtain documents and depositions from Nuvoton Japan, a prior owner of the asserted patents, which could be material to TSMC's defenses. AICP had objected to prior discovery requests for information from third parties.
• 2025-09-30: The Court issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order regarding UMC's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Claims for Direct Infringement and Pre-Suit Indirect Infringement (Dkt. No. 15). UMC's motion was based on allegations that AICP "merely parrots the claim language . . . and fails to provide adequate notice of its claims." The outcome of this motion indicates it was terminated by this order.

Claim Construction (Markman) Outcomes:

• The Second Docket Control Order noted that the parties are to file a Joint Notice indicating whether the case should be referred for mediation within fourteen days of the issuance of the Court's claim construction order, suggesting that a Markman order is anticipated but had not yet been issued as of the order date. No Markman order has been identified in the available search results to date.

Discovery Milestones with Strategic Significance:

• 2025-06-20: TSMC's motion for a letter rogatory highlights a strategic effort to obtain information from the patents' previous owner, Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan, for its defenses and damages theories. AICP had previously resisted producing such documents.

Trial Events, Verdict, and Post-Trial Motions:

• 2026-06-22: Jury selection is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. in Marshall, Texas.
• 2026-05-18: A pretrial conference is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. in Marshall, Texas, before Judge Rodney Gilstrap.
• 2026-05-11: The parties were ordered to notify the Court of any agreements reached during meet and confer regarding outstanding objections or motions in limine. The Joint Pretrial Order, Joint Proposed Jury Instructions, and Joint Proposed Voir Dire were also due by this date.

Settlement, Dismissal, Judgment, or Appeal:

• The case remains active, with a trial date set for June 2026.

Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings:

• 2025-04-14: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC) filed an inter partes review (IPR) petition, IPR2025-00830, against Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC concerning US Patent 8,198,686. TSMC has also filed IPRs against other patents asserted by AICP in related litigation.
• 2025-07-25: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. filed another IPR petition, IPR2025-01212, against Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC. This IPR targeted a semiconductor interconnect patent using dummy vias.
• 2025-11-20: IPR2025-01212 received a Discretionary Denial. The status of IPR2025-00830 (related to 8,198,686) is not explicitly stated in the provided snippets beyond its filing.

Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC is represented by counsel from Susman Godfrey LLP and Miller Fair Henry PLLC in the Eastern District of Texas case 2:24-cv-00730. Additionally, an attorney from Alavi & Ana has appeared for the plaintiff in related proceedings.

The following attorneys represent Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC:

• Justin Adatto Nelson (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP, Houston, TX
  • Experience: Justin Nelson is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and has experience representing clients in patent litigation. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in intellectual property and complex commercial litigation.
• Ian M. Gore (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP, Houston, TX
  • Experience: Ian Gore is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and actively participates in patent infringement cases. He filed a notice of attorney appearance on behalf of Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC in this case on October 3, 2024.
• Kalpana Srinivasan (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP, Los Angeles, CA
  • Experience: Kalpana Srinivasan is a managing partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and is highly recognized for her work in intellectual property litigation, having secured significant verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs.
• Kemper P. Diehl (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP
  • Experience: Kemper Diehl is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP with experience in patent litigation. He filed a notice of attorney appearance for the plaintiff on August 13, 2024.
• Ravi Paul Singh Bhalla (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP
  • Experience: Ravi Bhalla is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and is involved in patent litigation matters. He filed a notice of attorney appearance for the plaintiff on August 6, 2024.
• Claire Abernathy Henry (Local Counsel)
  • Firm: Miller Fair Henry PLLC
  • Experience: Claire Henry is a partner at Miller Fair Henry PLLC, a firm often acting as local counsel in the Eastern District of Texas. She filed a notice of attorney appearance for the plaintiff on August 30, 2024.
• Andrea Leigh Fair (Local Counsel)
  • Firm: Miller Fair Henry PLLC
  • Experience: Andrea Fair is a partner at Miller Fair Henry PLLC, a firm that frequently provides local counsel services in the Eastern District of Texas. She filed a notice related to patent/trademark forms for the plaintiff on August 1, 2024.
• Bianca Rey (Local Counsel)
  • Firm: Alavi & Ana, Houston, TX
  • Experience: Bianca Rey is an attorney at Alavi & Ana with experience in intellectual property litigation. She filed a notice of attorney appearance on behalf of Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC on December 12, 2024.
• Russell A. Chorush (Of Counsel, specifically for PTAB proceedings)
  • Firm: Alavi & Ana
  • Experience: Russell Chorush is an attorney who represented Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC in a related Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceeding (IPR2025-00830), as indicated in a document dated August 25, 2025. His practice focuses on intellectual property law, including patent litigation and patent prosecution.

Here is the counsel of record representing the defendant(s) in Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC v. United Microelectronics Corporation, case number 2:24-cv-00730, in the Eastern District of Texas:

Defendant: United Microelectronics Corporation

As of the last retrieved docket information, specific appearances for counsel representing United Microelectronics Corporation directly in case 2:24-cv-00730 were not explicitly detailed in the provided search results beyond the initial "WAIVER OF SERVICE Returned Executed by Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC. United Microelectronics Corporation waiver sent on 9/7/2024, answer due 12/6/2024". Further specific docket entries for defense counsel appearances would be needed to definitively identify the attorneys.

Defendant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (Defendant in member case 2:24-cv-00623-JRG, consolidated with 2:24-cv-00730 as lead case)

Specific appearances for counsel representing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited directly in case 2:24-cv-00623-JRG were not explicitly detailed in the provided search results. While the case is consolidated with 2:24-cv-00730, the search results primarily highlighted appearances for the plaintiff in the lead case.

To provide a comprehensive list of counsel for the defendant(s), a direct review of the PACER docket for appearances by United Microelectronics Corporation in 2:24-cv-00730 and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited in 2:24-cv-00623-JRG would be required. Based on the provided snippets, counsel appearances for the defendants are not explicitly listed.