Untitled case

This patent infringement litigation, Case No. 1:24-cv-00390, involves plaintiff Intellectual Ventures LLC, a prominent patent assertion entity (PAE) often characterized as a non-practicing entity (NPE), and defendant Tesla, Inc., an operating company known for electric vehicle and clean energy manufacturing. Intellectual Ventures' business model centers on acquiring and licensing intellectual property, as well as enforcing its patent portfolio through litigation. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The specific products or services of Tesla accused of infringement are not explicitly detailed in publicly available summaries for this case; however, given the asserted patent, US Patent 8,898,395, titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED DYNAMIC POWER MANAGEMENT," it is likely that Tesla's electric vehicle power management systems or related technologies are the focus. The '395 patent broadly describes a method and system for dynamic power management in electronic devices, involving detecting component activity levels, generating a power management strategy based on activity and power policies, and implementing that strategy to manage power.

The procedural posture of the case places it within the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, with Judge Robert Pitman assigned to the matter. [cite: 4 in previous step, 12, 13, 16, 19, 21 in previous step] The Western District of Texas has gained significant attention as a preferred venue for patent litigation, particularly for NPEs, due to its historically fast-paced dockets and the perceived patent expertise of its judges. Although measures have been implemented to distribute patent cases more broadly across judges within the district, it remains a top venue for such filings. The case is marked as "Closed," but the specific reason for its closure (e.g., settlement, dismissal with prejudice, administrative closure) is not explicitly detailed in readily available public records. However, early-stage resolutions, including settlements, are common outcomes in patent litigation involving NPEs like Intellectual Ventures.

This case is notable as part of a broader litigation campaign by Intellectual Ventures against Tesla, as evidenced by related Inter Partes Review (IPR) petitions filed by Tesla, Inc. against Intellectual Ventures II LLC concerning patents involved in WDTX-1-24-cv-00390, as well as other parallel district court cases. [cite: 4 in previous step, 5, 6 in previous step] For instance, IPR2025-00341 and IPR2025-00340 reflect Tesla's defensive strategy to challenge the validity of asserted patents at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). [cite: 5, 6 in previous step] The assertion of patents related to fundamental technologies like dynamic power management against a major innovator like Tesla highlights Intellectual Ventures' ongoing strategy of monetizing its extensive patent portfolio across various industries.

Intellectual Ventures II LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tesla, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, concerning U.S. Patent No. 8,898,395, among others. The case, designated 1:24-cv-00390, was filed on April 11, 2024. The litigation concluded with a dismissal with prejudice on May 16, 2025.

Key legal developments and outcome in chronological order:

• 2024-04-11: Complaint Filed. Intellectual Ventures II LLC initiated the patent infringement lawsuit against Tesla, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, case number 1:24-cv-00390.
• 2024-11-25 - 2024-12-31: Parallel PTAB IPR Petitions Filed. Tesla, Inc. filed multiple Inter Partes Review (IPR) petitions challenging patents asserted by Intellectual Ventures II LLC. While IPR2025-00341, filed on December 22, 2024, challenged U.S. Patent 7,181,743 (which was later "Not Instituted - Merits" on July 24, 2025), a series of other IPRs were filed around this time challenging other patents involved in the broader litigation, including U.S. Patents 10,952,153, 9,706,500, 11,206,670, 11,664,889, 9,232,158, and 10,292,138. Tesla also submitted "Sotera Plus stipulations" in connection with these IPR petitions, which broadly committed Tesla not to pursue in litigation any invalidity grounds that could have been reasonably raised before the PTAB in those instituted proceedings.
• 2025-03-07: IPR Petition for Patent 8,898,395 Filed. Tesla Inc. filed IPR2025-00638 challenging U.S. Patent 8,898,395.
• 2025-05-16: Case Dismissed with Prejudice. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas dismissed with prejudice the claims between Intellectual Ventures II LLC and Tesla, Inc. related to U.S. Patent No. 8,898,395 and other patents. This dismissal indicates a final resolution of the claims concerning the '395 patent at the district court level.
• 2025-06-24: IPR for Patent 8,898,395 Terminated. IPR2025-00638, challenging U.S. Patent 8,898,395, reached a "Procedural Termination" status. This procedural termination, following the district court's dismissal with prejudice, strongly suggests a settlement or agreement between the parties led to the resolution of both the district court case and the parallel IPR proceeding for the patent.

The following attorneys represent Intellectual Ventures LLC in the case 1:24-cv-00390:

External Counsel:

• Jonathan K. Waldrop (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY (implied by firm's general presence and lack of specific mention for individual attorneys, though firm has offices in other locations).
  • Relevant Experience: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP has extensive experience in intellectual property litigation and frequently represents clients, including Intellectual Ventures, in patent cases. The firm has successfully defeated motions to transfer venue for Intellectual Ventures in the Western District of Texas.

• Jonathan H. Hicks (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY.
  • Relevant Experience: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP is recognized for its intellectual property litigation practice, handling patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants.

• Marcus A. Barber (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY.
  • Relevant Experience: The firm he is part of tries intellectual property cases as lead trial counsel and has success in front of juries.

• John W. Downing (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY.
  • Relevant Experience: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP represents clients in all major federal patent and trademark venues throughout the country.

• Heather S. Kim (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY.
  • Relevant Experience: Many of Kasowitz's intellectual property lawyers have advanced scientific degrees.

• ThucMinh Nguyen (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY.
  • Relevant Experience: Kasowitz's intellectual property litigation group has experience in all aspects of intellectual property litigation.

• Mark D. Siegmund (Local Counsel)

  • Firm: Cherry Johnson Siegmund James, PLLC
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas (based on the firm's typical role as local counsel in W.D. Texas cases).
  • Relevant Experience: While specific patent litigation experience for Mr. Siegmund was not immediately found in the provided snippets, his firm's listing as counsel alongside a national IP firm suggests a local counsel role for a Western District of Texas case.

• D. Scott Hemingway (Counsel)

  • Firm: Hemingway & Hansen, LLP
  • Office Location: Dallas, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Mr. Hemingway is a partner with over twenty years of litigation and trial experience, including patent prosecution and managing intellectual property portfolios. He has coordinated licensing and litigation efforts that produced multi-million dollar revenues and settlements. Notable past representations include Red River Fiber Optic Corporation and Nortel Networks. His firm focuses solely on intellectual property and related business disputes, handling litigation, prosecution, and licensing.

In-House Counsel:

• Russell Rigby (Chief Counsel, Litigation)

  • Firm: Intellectual Ventures LLC
  • Office Location: Bellevue, Washington (Intellectual Ventures' headquarters).
  • Relevant Experience: As Chief Counsel, Litigation at Intellectual Ventures, Mr. Rigby oversees global patent enforcement litigations, negotiates settlement and licensing agreements, analyzes the patent portfolio for revenue generation opportunities, and manages strategic patent prosecution. He previously served as an Attorney - Director IP Litigation and Licensing and Director of Post Grant Proceedings at Intellectual Ventures.

• Janet Smith (General Counsel)

  • Firm: Intellectual Ventures LLC
  • Office Location: Bellevue, Washington (Intellectual Ventures' headquarters).
  • Relevant Experience: As General Counsel at Intellectual Ventures, Ms. Smith specializes in mergers and acquisitions, securities, finance, and governance matters, with a secondary practice in intellectual property transactions. She leads corporate affairs, supporting complex transactions, fundraising, and corporate governance across all funds.## Counsel of Record for Plaintiff Intellectual Ventures LLC in Intellectual Ventures II LLC v. Tesla, Inc.

In the patent infringement case Intellectual Ventures II LLC v. Tesla, Inc. (1:24-cv-00390) filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Intellectual Ventures LLC is represented by a team of attorneys from Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP, Hemingway & Hansen, LLP, Cherry Johnson Siegmund James, PLLC, and its own in-house legal department.

External Counsel

• Jonathan K. Waldrop (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP has a robust intellectual property litigation practice, frequently serving as lead trial counsel in patent cases and achieving success before juries. The firm has represented Intellectual Ventures in previous patent disputes, including successfully opposing venue transfer motions in the Western District of Texas.

• Jonathan H. Hicks (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: As part of Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP, Mr. Hicks contributes to a team recognized for its extensive experience across patent, trademark, trade secret, false advertising, and copyright litigation.

• Marcus A. Barber (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: Mr. Barber is part of a firm noted for its strategic counseling to clients on avoiding litigation and positioning them for trial success when necessary.

• John W. Downing (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: The Kasowitz firm actively represents clients in major federal patent and trademark venues across the United States.

• Heather S. Kim (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: Many attorneys within Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP's intellectual property team hold advanced scientific degrees, offering a deep technical understanding in their litigation work.

• ThucMinh Nguyen (Counsel)

  • Firm: Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP
  • Office Location: New York, NY
  • Relevant Experience: Ms. Nguyen is a member of Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP's intellectual property litigation group, which is experienced in all facets of IP disputes.

• Mark D. Siegmund (Local Counsel)

  • Firm: Cherry Johnson Siegmund James, PLLC
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas
  • Relevant Experience: Mr. Siegmund's firm is listed as counsel for the plaintiff in a case within the Western District of Texas, suggesting a role as local counsel.

• D. Scott Hemingway (Counsel)

  • Firm: Hemingway & Hansen, LLP
  • Office Location: Dallas, Texas
  • Relevant Experience: Mr. Hemingway is a partner with over two decades of experience in patent litigation and trial work, as well as patent prosecution and intellectual property portfolio management. He has successfully coordinated licensing and litigation efforts that have generated multi-million dollar royalty revenues and settlements, including work for clients like Red River Fiber Optic Corporation and Nortel Networks. Hemingway & Hansen, LLP is an intellectual property law firm founded in Dallas in 2005, focusing exclusively on IP litigation, prosecution, and licensing.

In-House Counsel

• Russell Rigby (Chief Counsel, Litigation)

  • Firm: Intellectual Ventures LLC
  • Office Location: Bellevue, Washington
  • Relevant Experience: As Chief Counsel, Litigation for Intellectual Ventures, Mr. Rigby is responsible for overseeing global patent enforcement litigations, negotiating settlement and licensing agreements, analyzing the patent portfolio for revenue generation, and managing strategic patent prosecution. His background includes prior roles within Intellectual Ventures as Attorney - Director IP Litigation and Licensing and Director of Post Grant Proceedings, and he was previously a partner specializing in intellectual property litigation at Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist.

• Janet Smith (General Counsel)

  • Firm: Intellectual Ventures LLC
  • Office Location: Bellevue, Washington
  • Relevant Experience: As General Counsel for Intellectual Ventures, Ms. Smith possesses over 20 years of experience in corporate law, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, securities, finance, and governance, with a strong secondary practice in intellectual property transactions. She leads Intellectual Ventures' corporate affairs team, handling complex transactions, fundraising, and corporate governance.

In the patent infringement case Intellectual Ventures II LLC v. Tesla, Inc., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (Case No. 1:24-cv-00390), Tesla, Inc. was the defendant. The case, filed on April 11, 2024, was closed on April 3, 2025.

While direct district court docket filings for counsel appearances are not publicly available in the provided search results, related Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings (IPR2025-00219, Tesla Inc v. Intellectual Ventures II) involving the same parties and referencing the district court case indicate that Tesla, Inc. was represented by Haynes & Boone LLP, along with in-house counsel.

The counsel of record identified for defendant Tesla, Inc. are:

External Counsel

Firm: Haynes & Boone LLP

• Scott Jarratt
  • Role: Partner
  • Firm and Office Location: Haynes & Boone LLP, Dallas, Texas
  • Experience: Focuses on inter partes review (IPRs) and other post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where he frequently serves as lead counsel for prominent companies. He also advises on patent portfolio and prosecution strategies. He is recognized as a "Best Performing Attorney representing Petitioners" at the PTAB.
• Jonathan R. Bowser
  • Role: Partner | Head of Patent Office Trials Practice Group
  • Firm and Office Location: Haynes & Boone LLP, Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia
  • Experience: A registered patent attorney whose practice primarily focuses on patent litigation disputes, including IPRs and ex parte reexaminations, often in parallel with federal district court litigation. He has been counsel in more than 150 AIA trials before the PTAB and also litigates IPR appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• Laura Vu
  • Role: Associate
  • Firm and Office Location: Haynes & Boone LLP, San Francisco, California
  • Experience: Focuses on appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, federal district court litigation, and post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge Raymond T. Chen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Her technical experience includes electric vehicle charging and wireless communication.
• Eric M. Horsley
  • Role: Associate
  • Firm and Office Location: Haynes & Boone LLP (previously as of April 2023), likely in one of their Texas offices given their strong presence in patent litigation in the Western District of Texas.
  • Experience: Counsels clients on patent portfolios, drafts and prosecutes patent applications, and represents clients in IPRs before the PTAB. His background in physics provides a strong foundation for understanding technologies across various fields, including artificial intelligence, medical devices, and mobile communications.

In-House Counsel

• Ashraf Fawzy
  • Role: Managing Counsel - IP Litigation
  • Firm and Office Location: Tesla, Inc., Washington, United States
  • Experience: Involved in IP litigation and PTAB proceedings for Tesla, Inc., including filing powers of attorney for post-grant proceedings. He previously spent nine years as an IP litigator at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP and has been part of the in-house legal team at Unified Patents, LLC.