Defendant
12 cases as defendant.
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is the primary wireless telecommunications subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ). Verizon Communications, a public company headquartered in New York City, was formed in 2000 through the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. The Verizon Wireless entity itself was also established in 2000 as a joint venture with Vodafone, with Verizon Communications becoming the sole owner in 2014. As a whole, Verizon Communications generated $138.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and employed approximately 89,900 people.
As a major operating company, Verizon Wireless provides wireless voice and data services, related mobile devices, and wireless broadband to a wide range of customers, including consumers, businesses, and government agencies. It operates the largest wireless network in the United States, with approximately 146.8 million retail connections as of March 2026. The company's offerings are now integrated into Verizon's Consumer and Business divisions, supporting services like mobile telephony, broadband internet, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Based on its litigation history, Cellco Partnership is an operating company that defends against patent infringement suits. The provided data shows the company as a defendant in one tracked case and as a plaintiff in none. This defensive posture is typical for a large technology company. The single tracked case, Headwater Research LLC v. Verizon Communications Inc. et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue frequently used by patent assertion entities. In that case, filed in 2023, the patent assertion entity Headwater Research LLC alleged infringement of its patents.
Patent infringement suit filed by Cedarwood Ventures, Inc. against Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless in W.D. Texas. The narrative reports it as open/pending, with an unopposed motion to extend the answer granted and answer due August 10, 2026; the retrieved docket did not name the patents asserted.
Headwater sued multiple wireless carriers asserting a five-patent set including the '464 patent; the case was dismissed without prejudice by joint stipulation under Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(ii), each party bearing its own costs.
Lab Technology LLC sued Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (originally named Verizon Communications Inc.) in E.D. Tex. Patents-in-suit included 8,503,973. Verizon Communications Inc. was dismissed without prejudice and substituted; the case was later dismissed by joint motion on Dec. 4, 2024, with no merits ruling.
Headwater sued Verizon entities for infringement. The jury found willful infringement of Claim 83 of the '541 patent and Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 9,215,613, awarding $175,000,000. The court later found the asserted patents unenforceable under implied waiver and entered final judgment for Verizon; cross-appeals are pending at the Federal Circuit.
2023 E.D. Tex. cellular-carrier campaign member case against Verizon; consolidated for trial with 2:23-cv-00470 and for pretrial with lead case 2:23-cv-00202. Part of the carrier litigation in which '376 was asserted.
Member case consolidated into 2:23-cv-00202. XR Communications (Vivato) alleged infringement of US 8,737,511 against Verizon Communications and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless. Dismissed with prejudice on 2026-01-08 under the same joint order as the lead case.
Filed December 3, 2018 in E.D. Tex. Marshall Division and consolidated with Sol IP's AT&T lead case. The asserted-patent list for this docket includes US 10,090,894; the case was terminated on May 20, 2020 as dismissed - other.
Lead case in the Dec. 3, 2018 Sol IP E.D. Tex. campaign, filed in Marshall before Judge Schroeder and Magistrate Judge Payne. The consolidated caption named AT&T, Cellco/Verizon, and Sprint entities as defendants, with Ericsson and Nokia intervening; the campaign asserted 27 patents, including US 9,900,067. Closed on 2020-05-20; disposition not stated.
Consolidated patent infringement action asserting US 10,080,204 against AT&T Mobility, Sprint entities, and Verizon Wireless. Consolidated with 2:18-cv-00527-RWS-RSP (Sprint) and 2:18-cv-00528-RWS-RSP (Verizon); Ericsson Inc. and Nokia of America Corporation intervened. Dismissed (Dismissed - Other) on May 20, 2020.
Fenner asserted Claim 1 of the '706 patent. MetroPCS entities settled and were voluntarily dismissed; the court adopted Verizon's construction of 'personal identification number' and entered final judgment of non-infringement on August 9, 2013. Fenner appealed.
Member case consolidated into 2:23-cv-00202, asserting U.S. 7,177,369 against Verizon entities. Ericsson and Nokia intervened. It was settled and dismissed with prejudice under the same January 8, 2026 order.
Prism withdrew the '288 claims in March 2014. The case was consolidated for pretrial purposes with the other carrier actions (Nos. 8:12-cv-122 through 8:12-cv-125).