Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. is the American subsidiary of the former French global telecommunications equipment company, Alcatel-Lucent S.A. The parent company was formed by the merger of France-based Alcatel and U.S.-based Lucent Technologies in 2006. In 2015, Finland's Nokia Corporation announced its intention to acquire Alcatel-Lucent in a deal valued at €15.6 billion ($16.6 billion). The acquisition was completed in November 2016, and the Alcatel-Lucent brand was absorbed into Nokia. Prior to the acquisition, in 2014, Alcatel-Lucent had spun off its enterprise division, which continues to operate as Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE), owned by China Huaxin Post and Telecom Technologies.
The part of Alcatel-Lucent acquired by Nokia was a major provider of telecommunications hardware and services. Its operations focused on IP networking, ultra-broadband fixed and wireless access, and cloud technologies for service providers and large enterprises globally. The company's portfolio included products for mobile and fixed networks, such as routers, switches, and optical transport equipment. This business, along with the renowned research organization Bell Labs, was integrated into Nokia to create a stronger competitor to rivals like Ericsson and Huawei.
As a large operating company, Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. appears in the database as a defendant in patent litigation. The company is listed as a defendant in one case and has no recorded cases as a plaintiff. This defensive posture is typical for a technology manufacturer and service provider. The tracked case, filed in 2013, was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a jurisdiction historically popular for patent infringement lawsuits.
The notable case tracked is Sampo IP, LLC v. ETrade Financial Corporate Services Inc. et al.* In this suit, Alcatel-Lucent USA was one of several large technology and financial companies sued by Sampo IP, a subsidiary of Marathon Patent Group, a patent licensing firm. This litigation occurred prior to the final acquisition by Nokia. The acquisition by Nokia is the most significant event in the company's recent history, effectively ending its existence as an independent entity.