Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Wells Fargo & Company

Case Overview and Background

Disintermedation Services Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Wells Fargo & Company, a major U.S. financial services firm, in the District of Delaware. The plaintiff, Disintermedation Services, appears to be a non-practicing entity (NPE) focused on monetizing a portfolio of patents related to online communication systems. It has filed similar lawsuits against other companies, including Kroger and 4Walls.com, Ltd. The defendant, Wells Fargo, is a multinational operating company providing a wide range of banking, investment, and other financial services. The case centers on allegations that Wells Fargo's customer communication technologies, likely including its online and mobile chat and messaging platforms, infringe on the plaintiff's patent.

The single patent asserted in this case is U.S. Patent No. 11,240,183, titled "Two-way real time communication system that allows asymmetric participation in conversations across multiple electronic platforms." The technology described in the patent involves a system for managing web-based communications where a user's initial message is handled by a first responder, and then, based on the message content, is seamlessly routed to a second, different responder, all while maintaining the conversation's context within the user's web browser without revealing the second responder's contact details. Disintermedation Services alleges that the customer service chat functions on Wells Fargo's website and mobile applications, which allow customers to interact with bank representatives, utilize this patented method. The specific accused products have not been detailed in publicly available documents, which is common in the early stages of litigation.

The case (1:23-cv-00086) is before the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, a venue known for its expertise and high volume of patent litigation. The court's experienced judiciary and specialized procedures make it a preferred forum for complex patent disputes. The case is notable as part of a broader assertion campaign by Disintermedation Services, targeting companies across different industries with customer-facing chat or messaging systems. This pattern of litigation by an NPE against a major operating company in the financial services sector highlights the ongoing risk that software-based business method patents pose to technology-enabled industries. Further indicating the patent's significance, related patents in the same family have been cited in applications by major technology companies like Microsoft and IBM. Another company, Intercom, Inc., has filed a declaratory judgment action against Disintermedation Services in the same court, seeking non-infringement judgments for the '183 patent among others, suggesting a coordinated defensive strategy among accused infringers.

Legal Developments & Case Outcome

As of early May 2026, the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Disintermedation Services Inc. against Wells Fargo & Company remains in its preliminary stages, with no dispositive rulings or significant legal developments publicly documented. The case follows a pattern of litigation initiated by Disintermedation Services against various companies utilizing customer-facing chat technologies.

Initial Pleadings and Case Posture

• 2023-01-24: Disintermedation Services Inc. filed a complaint for patent infringement against Wells Fargo & Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,240,183. The case was assigned docket number 1:23-cv-00086.
• Publicly accessible records do not yet contain an answer or any counterclaims from Wells Fargo. This is not unusual in the early phases of patent litigation, as defendants are often granted extensions to respond to the initial complaint while they evaluate the claims and formulate a defense strategy.

Motions and Court Orders

There is no public record of any substantive pre-trial motions, such as motions to dismiss, transfer venue, or stay the case pending other proceedings. The docket does not indicate that the case has progressed to key milestones like a Markman hearing for claim construction.

Parallel Proceedings

A notable factor in the broader assertion campaign by Disintermedation Services is a declaratory judgment action filed by another technology company, Intercom, Inc. This separate lawsuit, also in the District of Delaware, suggests a proactive defensive strategy by companies targeted by Disintermedation Services. However, there is no indication from available records that Wells Fargo has initiated its own parallel proceedings, such as an Inter Partes Review (IPR) at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to challenge the validity of the '183 patent.

Current Status and Outcome

The case is still active, but its public status is "Unknown," indicating a lack of recent substantive docket activity. Patent cases of this nature can often remain in early, non-public stages for extended periods due to discovery processes, scheduling negotiations, or confidential settlement discussions. Given the early stage, no trial has occurred, and no judgment or final dismissal has been entered. The ultimate outcome—whether it be a settlement, a dispositive motion, or progression to trial—is yet to be determined.

Plaintiff's Counsel of Record

Based on filings in this and other similar cases brought by the plaintiff, the counsel of record for Disintermedation Services Inc. is from the firm Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC. This firm frequently represents patent holders in the District of Delaware.

Stamatios "Stam" Stamoulis

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC (Wilmington, DE)
• Note on Experience: Stamoulis has over two decades of experience in intellectual property and complex commercial litigation, frequently representing patent plaintiffs in the District of Delaware and other key patent venues like the Eastern District of Texas. He is a past president of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association and has been repeatedly recognized as an "IP Star" by Managing Intellectual Property.

Richard C. Weinblatt

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC (Wilmington, DE)
• Note on Experience: Weinblatt has focused on intellectual property law for over 20 years, with a practice centered on patent litigation and appellate work before the Federal Circuit. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in Intellectual Property Litigation and as an "IP Star" by Managing Intellectual Property for multiple years. He successfully argued for the reversal of a district court's § 101 dismissal in the notable Federal Circuit case Visual Memory, LLC v. NVIDIA Corp.

Disclaimer: Direct confirmation from the official case docket (1:23-cv-00086) was not available through public web searches. This information is based on the firm's representation of the same plaintiff in other matters and their established practice in the jurisdiction.

Based on publicly available information as of May 4, 2026, counsel of record for the defendant, Wells Fargo & Company, has not yet been identified in the case Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Wells Fargo & Company, 1:23-cv-00086, in the Delaware District Court.

Searches of court record databases and legal news outlets did not yield a notice of appearance or other filings that would name the specific attorneys representing the defendant. This is not unusual in the early stages of a case, as there can be a delay between the filing of a complaint and the formal appearance of defense counsel.

However, given the venue and the nature of the litigation, it is highly probable that Wells Fargo will be represented by a combination of national counsel with deep patent litigation experience and local Delaware counsel with expertise in the district's specific practices. Firms known for significant patent litigation work in Delaware are likely candidates.

Two prominent Delaware firms with substantial patent litigation practices are:

• Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP: A well-established Delaware firm frequently retained as local counsel in major patent disputes.

  • David E. Moore is a partner at the firm's Wilmington office and a highly-regarded patent litigator with extensive experience as both lead and local counsel in the District of Delaware. His practice focuses on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation.

• McCarter & English, LLP: This firm has a large presence in Wilmington, Delaware, and is frequently ranked among the top firms for patent litigation nationally and in Delaware.

  • The firm has a deep bench of intellectual property litigators, including partners Daniel M. Silver and Alexandra M. Joyce, who are based in the Wilmington office and have significant experience in patent and complex commercial litigation.

While these firms and attorneys are strong candidates to appear for a major corporate defendant like Wells Fargo in a Delaware patent case, their involvement in this specific matter has not been publicly confirmed. No filings have been made public that would definitively name them as counsel of record.