Integral Wireless Technologies LLC v. Verizon Communications Inc.

Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, a Texas-based patent monetization firm associated with Empire IP LLC, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Verizon Communications Inc., a prominent American telecommunications operating company. Integral Wireless Technologies LLC was established in September 2024 and, similar to other entities linked with Empire IP, appears to operate as a Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) or Patent Assertion Entity (PAE), focusing on acquiring and asserting patents for monetization.. Public records indicate that Integral Wireless acquired a portfolio of patents from Intellectual Ventures LLC (IV) in 2024, with IV retaining an interest in the monetization of these assets.. Verizon Communications Inc. is a major telecommunications provider, offering extensive wireless and wireline communication services, broadband, and other technology solutions to consumers, businesses, and government entities across the United States.. While the specific accused products or services in this case are not detailed in publicly available search results, Integral Wireless has previously targeted server systems, 5G compatible devices, and devices compatible with various wireless standards (e.g., 802.11n, Bluetooth) in other litigation campaigns..

The litigation, case number 2:25-cv-00644, is proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. A specific judge has not been publicly identified for this case through available search results. The Eastern District of Texas is a well-known venue for patent infringement cases, often characterized as a "rocket docket" due to its expedited case timelines.. Historically, it has been favored by patent plaintiffs, including NPEs, for its plaintiff-friendly reputation, consistent procedural rules with rigid deadlines, and a tendency to resist motions to stay cases pending inter partes review (IPR) or to transfer venue.. The asserted patent in this case is U.S. Patent No. 8,976,714, which describes methods and systems for providing user interface control functions and content delivery, including enabling a user to select content sources, generating a menu of available content, and providing that menu to the user interface.

This case is notable due to Integral Wireless Technologies LLC's status as an NPE, engaged in a pattern of patent assertions stemming from portfolios acquired from Intellectual Ventures.. This reflects a broader trend of patent monetization firms acquiring patent assets and initiating litigation campaigns against large operating companies in the technology and telecommunications sectors. The involvement of Verizon, a leading wireless carrier, underscores the potential industry impact, as the case touches upon technologies central to modern content delivery and user interfaces in wireless communication. As of the current date, no Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings related to U.S. Patent No. 8,976,714 in connection with this specific case have been found in the public records.

Integral Wireless Technologies LLC v. Verizon Communications Inc.: Key Legal Developments

Case Number: 2:25-cv-00644
Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Patents-in-Suit: U.S. Patent No. 8,976,714

As of May 28, 2026, the patent infringement litigation between Integral Wireless Technologies LLC and Verizon Communications Inc. (Case No. 2:25-cv-00644) in the Eastern District of Texas is active. However, specific docket entries detailing the filing date, initial pleadings, substantive pre-trial motions, claim construction outcomes, discovery milestones, trial events, verdicts, or post-trial motions for this particular case are not readily available through general public searches. Similarly, information regarding any settlement, dismissal, judgment, or appeal is not found.

While "Integral Wireless Technologies LLC" is identified as a plaintiff in other patent litigation, and U.S. Patent No. 8,976,714 has been asserted in at least one other case against AT&T Inc., specific details of these events for the Verizon case (2:25-cv-00644) could not be located in the provided search results.

Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings

A targeted search for Inter Partes Review (IPR) or Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceedings related to U.S. Patent No. 8,976,714 in the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) database did not yield any direct results indicating that this specific patent has been challenged. The search results provided general information about the PTAB and IPR processes, and discussions of IPRs in other unrelated cases, but no specific IPR or PGR filings for patent 8,976,714 were found.

Due to the limited public information available for this active case through the conducted searches, a comprehensive chronological list of legal developments cannot be provided at this time without direct access to the court's official PACER docket.

Integral Wireless Technologies LLC is represented by attorneys from Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC. This firm specializes in patent litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants across various industries, including telecommunications, wireless networks, and computer electronics.

The identified counsel of record for Integral Wireless Technologies LLC are:

• James F. McDonough, III

  • Role: Partner
  • Firm: Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC, with offices in Austin, TX; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; and Denver, CO.
  • Experience: James McDonough is a patent litigator with 17 years of experience, primarily enforcing patents in electronic devices. He has served as lead counsel in numerous litigated matters for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies, focusing on complex technology-oriented litigation, including intellectual property and patent litigation. His representative matters include securing a jury verdict for a home inspection company in a patent dispute involving infrared thermal imaging technology and representing the owner of a 40+ patent portfolio covering fleet management technologies.

• C. Matthew Rozier

  • Role: Partner
  • Firm: Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC, with offices in Austin, TX; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; and Denver, CO.
  • Experience: Matt Rozier is an engineer and registered patent attorney who focuses on complex patent litigation before federal district courts, the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). He has litigated a wide range of technologies, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, medical devices, and wireless networks, and has represented clients in dozens of post-grant patent matters before the PTAB.

• Jonathan L. Hardt

  • Role: Partner
  • Firm: Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC, with offices in Austin, TX; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; and Denver, CO.
  • Experience: Jonathan L. Hardt is a partner at Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC, specializing in intellectual property disputes. The firm's collective experience encompasses all stages of complex intellectual property disputes, from pre-suit counseling through post-trial appeal.

No other firms or specific attorneys (such as local counsel or in-house counsel) have been identified as representing Integral Wireless Technologies LLC in case 2:25-cv-00644 in the Eastern District of Texas based on the available information.

Identifying the counsel of record for Verizon Communications Inc. in case 2:25-cv-00644 requires direct access to the court's PACER docket, which is not available through general web searches. However, based on recent patent litigation involving Verizon in the Eastern District of Texas and Verizon's typical legal representation strategies, we can infer potential counsel.

Verizon frequently engages national patent litigation firms with strong presences in the Eastern District of Texas, as well as maintaining in-house intellectual property litigation counsel.

Based on other recent patent infringement cases involving Verizon in the Eastern District of Texas:

• Duane Morris LLP has represented Verizon. For example, in a March 2026 settlement with Fractus in the Eastern District of Texas, Duane Morris attorneys Christopher Joseph Tyson, Holly Elin Engelmann, Jayla Grant, John DiBaise, and Kevin Paul Anderson represented Verizon.
• The Dacus Firm PC often serves as local counsel or co-counsel for defendants in the Eastern District of Texas. Deron R. Dacus of The Dacus Firm PC represented Verizon in the aforementioned Fractus settlement and also in a quickly dismissed case brought by Headwater Research LLC in 2025.

Verizon also has a robust in-house legal department. Sanjeev Mehta is an Associate General Counsel & Director at Verizon, handling patent and software licensing, patent monetization, M&A deals, and incoming patent assertions. While primarily an in-house role, individuals like Mehta often collaborate closely with outside counsel in litigation. Vandana Venkatesh is the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Verizon, overseeing legal, corporate security, and cybersecurity teams.

Given the absence of direct docket information for Integral Wireless Technologies LLC v. Verizon Communications Inc. (2:25-cv-00644), the specific attorneys and firms formally appearing for Verizon in this particular case cannot be definitively stated without access to the official court filings. It is highly probable that Verizon will be represented by a combination of national patent litigation specialists and local counsel in the Eastern District of Texas, potentially including firms like Duane Morris LLP and The Dacus Firm PC, consistent with their past litigation practices in the venue.