Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless v. Fractus, S.A.

This case involves an inter partes review (IPR) filed by Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (Verizon) against Fractus, S.A., before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Verizon Wireless is a major American telecommunications operating company, a division of Verizon Communications Inc., providing extensive wireless products and services across the United States. Fractus, S.A., a company based in Barcelona, Spain, is known as a pioneer in geometry-based antenna technology and actively engages in intellectual property licensing and enforcement. Fractus develops, manufactures, and licenses antenna technology and holds a portfolio of over 40 inventions protected by more than 120 patents globally.

The IPR, IPR2026-00196, filed on January 5, 2026, challenged claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,031,677, titled "Antennas in wireless devices." This patent generally describes innovations in miniaturized, high-performance multi-band antennas that optimize antenna efficiency through specific "complexity factors" characterizing their geometric shape. The IPR stemmed from an underlying patent infringement lawsuit that Fractus filed against Verizon (and Geotab) in December 2024 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Case No. 2:24-cv-01009). Fractus alleged that Verizon unlawfully utilized its patented antenna innovations to enable advanced connectivity solutions in various applications, including fleet management, asset tracking, and aftermarket telematics, particularly within the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. The case was ultimately resolved through a settlement between Fractus and Verizon.

This case is notable for several reasons. Fractus operates as a patent assertion entity (PAE), with a stated strategy of licensing its innovations and taking legal action when its rights are infringed, as evidenced by its history of litigation against major technology and telecom companies worldwide. The IPR itself highlights the strategic interplay between district court litigation and PTAB challenges, with Verizon arguing against discretionary denial by referencing a related IPR involving Geotab and the Fintiv factors. The dispute also underscores the increasing importance of antenna technology in the burgeoning IoT market, where reliable and compact multi-band connectivity is crucial for a wide range of devices and services. Although this specific IPR concluded in a settlement, Fractus continues to actively defend and license its antenna technology in the broader market.

The patent infringement lawsuit, Fractus, S.A. v. Verizon Connect Inc. et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-01009, was filed by Fractus, S.A. against Verizon Connect Inc. and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (collectively, "Verizon") in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on December 6, 2024. The complaint alleged infringement of five U.S. patents, including U.S. Patent No. 11,031,677, related to antenna technology for wireless devices, particularly within the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

Key legal developments and outcome:

• Filing & Initial Pleadings (2024-12-06): Fractus, S.A. filed the patent infringement complaint against Verizon Connect Inc. and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless in the Eastern District of Texas. Fractus was represented by Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
• Motion to Stay Pending IPR (2025-01-26): A motion to stay pending Inter Partes Review (IPR) was filed.
• Order to Stay Pending IPR (2025-01-30): The court issued an order granting the motion to stay the case pending IPR proceedings, with Judge Roy S. Payne presiding.
• Parallel PTAB IPR Filing (2026-01-05): Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless filed an Inter Partes Review (IPR) petition, IPR2026-00196, against Fractus, S.A. challenging claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,031,677. The IPR petition argued for unpatentability based on obviousness over prior art. Verizon argued against discretionary denial of the IPR, referencing a related IPR involving Geotab (IPR2025-01026) and the Fintiv factors.
• Settlement and Dismissal (2026-03-25): Fractus and Verizon reached a commercial settlement, resolving the patent infringement litigation. An order granting a joint motion to dismiss the case with prejudice was issued by the Eastern District of Texas. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. This settlement concluded the district court litigation between Fractus and Verizon. The parallel IPR (IPR2026-00196) was subsequently terminated as settled on April 9, 2026.

In the underlying patent infringement lawsuit, Fractus, S.A. v. Verizon Connect Inc. et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-01009, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (Verizon) was represented by attorneys from Duane Morris and The Dacus Firm.

Here is the breakdown of the identified counsel for Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless:

Counsel for Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (Defendant in District Court):

• Christopher Joseph Tyson
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Duane Morris
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Duane Morris has a patent litigation practice.
• Holly Elin Engelmann
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Duane Morris
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Duane Morris has a patent litigation practice.
• Jayla Grant
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Duane Morris
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Duane Morris has a patent litigation practice.
• John DiBaise
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Duane Morris
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Duane Morris has a patent litigation practice.
• Kevin Paul Anderson
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Duane Morris
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
    Relevant Experience: Duane Morris has a patent litigation practice.
• Deron Dacus
  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: The Dacus Firm, PC
  • Office Location: Tyler, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Deron Dacus is experienced patent litigation counsel familiar with the Eastern District of Texas, having represented defendants like Cellco Partnership (dba Verizon Wireless) in other patent infringement actions.

The defendant in the patent infringement lawsuit, Fractus, S.A. v. Verizon Connect Inc. et al. (Case No. 2:24-cv-01009), Fractus, S.A., was represented by several law firms.

Here is the breakdown of the identified counsel for Fractus, S.A.:

Counsel for Fractus, S.A. (Plaintiff in District Court):

• Max L. Tribble
  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Houston, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Max Tribble is a highly recognized trial lawyer specializing in patent litigation, with a track record of securing significant jury verdicts and settlements for both plaintiffs and defendants. He has represented clients in numerous high-stakes intellectual property cases involving diverse technologies, including securing a $300 million license for MicroUnity patents from Intel and a $65.7 million jury verdict for Paltalk Holdings against Cisco Systems.
• Chanler L. Langham
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results, but Susman Godfrey has offices in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; and Seattle, Washington.
  • Relevant Experience: Chanler Langham is an accomplished trial lawyer with experience in intellectual property, antitrust, and complex breach of contract litigation, securing significant victories and multi-million dollar settlements for clients.
• Elisha S. Barron
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: New York, New York.
  • Relevant Experience: Elisha Barron is a partner at Susman Godfrey who litigates high-stakes cases across the country, including intellectual property disputes, and has secured billions in judgments and settlements for her clients.
• Andres Healy
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Seattle, Washington.
  • Relevant Experience: Andres Healy is a trial lawyer specializing in intellectual property and complex commercial disputes, with substantial experience representing plaintiffs in patent infringement actions. He has won a $31.5 million jury verdict for KPN against Ericsson in a patent infringement suit.
• Joseph Grinstein
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Houston, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 for patent litigation.
• Justin Nelson
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Houston, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 for patent litigation.
• Robert Greenfeld
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results, but Susman Godfrey has offices in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; and Seattle, Washington.
  • Relevant Experience: Susman Godfrey has a strong intellectual property litigation practice.
• Rachel P. Thompson
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Susman Godfrey handles a wide range of intellectual property cases.
• Xiaoming (Tim) Wang
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Susman Godfrey is recognized for its work in patent litigation.
• S. Calvin Capshaw
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Capshaw DeRieux
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Involved in patent infringement cases.
• Elizabeth L. DeRieux
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Capshaw DeRieux
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Involved in patent infringement cases.
• Claire Abernathy
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Miller Fair Henry
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Involved in patent infringement cases.
• Andrea Leigh Fair
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Miller Fair Henry
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Involved in patent infringement cases.
• Xue Li
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Womble Bond Dickinson
  • Office Location: Not specified in search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Womble Bond Dickinson is a global law firm with intellectual property services.
• Robert C. "Chris" Bunt
  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Parker, Bunt & Ainsworth, P.C.
  • Office Location: Tyler, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Chris Bunt is frequently retained as local counsel in patent litigation matters in the Eastern District of Texas and has extensive trial experience in patent infringement actions. His firm is ranked for Litigation - Patent in Tyler.
• Chanler L. Langham
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: Not specified, but Susman Godfrey has offices in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; and Seattle, Washington.
  • Relevant Experience: Chanler Langham is an accomplished trial lawyer with experience in intellectual property, antitrust, and complex breach of contract litigation, securing significant victories and multi-million dollar settlements for clients.
• Elisha S. Barron
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
  • Office Location: New York, New York.
  • Relevant Experience: Elisha Barron is a partner at Susman Godfrey who litigates high-stakes cases across the country, including intellectual property disputes, and has secured billions in judgments and settlements for her clients.