Piney Woods Mobility LLC v. Samsung Electronics

This patent infringement litigation, Piney Woods Mobility LLC v. [[[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) et al.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.%20et%20al.) (2:26-cv-00122), was filed on February 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The plaintiff, Piney Woods Mobility LLC, is identified as a Texas-based patent assertion entity (PAE) and a frequent filer of patent infringement lawsuits, actively targeting major technology and telecommunications companies. The defendant, Samsung Electronics, a South Korean multinational conglomerate, is a global leader in consumer electronics, semiconductors, and mobile communications.

The lawsuit alleges that Samsung Electronics infringes on Piney Woods Mobility's intellectual property through its location-sharing programs and services, specifically mentioning SmartThings. The sole patent at issue in this case, U.S. Patent No. 9,615,204, is titled "Techniques for Communication Within Closed Groups of Mobile Devices." This patent generally describes methods and apparatuses designed for communication within defined groups of mobile devices, focusing on the user interface and device-side logic for features such as defining groups, obtaining user agreement for group participation, and displaying location information on a map.

The case is currently active and presided over by Judge Rodney Gilstrap, a prominent figure in patent litigation, in the Eastern District of Texas. This venue is notable for patent infringement lawsuits due to its reputation for plaintiff-friendly procedural rules, accelerated trial schedules, and its historical role as a hub for patent litigation, although the Supreme Court's TC Heartland decision in 2017 sought to restrict venue options. The Eastern District of Texas, and particularly Judge Gilstrap's court, continues to be a favored jurisdiction for patent assertion entities, often seeing a high volume of new patent filings.

The patent infringement litigation of Piney Woods Mobility LLC v. Samsung Electronics commenced on February 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, under Case Number 2:2026cv00122. The case has been assigned to District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.

Key Legal Developments:

• Filing & Initial Pleadings:

  • 2026-02-13: Piney Woods Mobility LLC filed a complaint alleging patent infringement against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.. The lawsuit claims infringement related to location-sharing programs and services, specifically mentioning Samsung's SmartThings. The patent at issue, U.S. Patent No. 9,615,204, titled "Techniques for Communication Within Closed Groups of Mobile Devices," was issued on April 4, 2017, and relates to methods and apparatuses for communication and sharing location within closed groups of mobile devices.
  • Piney Woods Mobility LLC also initiated similar patent infringement lawsuits around the same time against other defendants, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, also in the Eastern District of Texas, concerning their respective location-sharing services.
  • 2026-02-17: The case was formally assigned to District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.
  • 2026-02-25: Summons were returned executed for both Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • 2026-03-04: Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. filed an unopposed motion seeking an extension of time to file their answer, move, or otherwise respond to the complaint, which also included a waiver of foreign service requirements.

• Pre-trial Motions, Claim Construction, Discovery, Trial, and Post-Trial Motions:

  • As of the current date (2026-06-04), the case is still in its very early stages. There have been no public reports of substantive pre-trial motions (such as motions to dismiss, transfer, or stay pending IPR), claim construction hearings (Markman), significant discovery milestones, trial events, verdicts, or post-trial motions.

• Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings:

  • A search of the USPTO PTAB database (P-TACTS) for U.S. Patent No. 9,615,204 by Samsung as a petitioner does not show any instituted Inter Partes Review (IPR) or Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceedings at this time. However, it is common for defendants to file such petitions early in litigation.

Outcome/Present Posture:

The litigation remains active in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The initial pleadings have been filed, and Samsung has requested an extension to respond to the complaint. No final disposition, such as settlement, dismissal, or judgment, has been reached.

Plaintiff Piney Woods Mobility LLC is represented by the following counsel:

• Christopher Honea (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Garteiser Honea, PLLC
  • Office Location: Tyler, Texas.
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Christopher Honea is identified as counsel for Piney Woods Mobility LLC in the Eastern District of Texas, having filed the complaint and associated documents in the case against Samsung Electronics and related actions against other mobile carriers. His firm, Garteiser Honea, PLLC, is noted as counsel for Piney Woods Mobility in similar patent infringement lawsuits.

Further attorneys often involved in Eastern District of Texas patent litigation, potentially as local counsel, include:

• Johnny Ward (Local Counsel, likely)

  • Firm: Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC
  • Office Location: Longview, Texas.
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Johnny Ward is a name partner at Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, a firm recognized for high-stakes intellectual property trials in the Eastern District of Texas. He has a reputation for major trial victories against prominent companies in intellectual property and commercial litigation. The firm has served as local counsel in cases securing significant patent infringement wins, including a $502.8 million verdict against [Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.) and a $62.7 million award against Samsung Display Company Ltd.

• Wesley Hill (Local Counsel, likely)

  • Firm: Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC
  • Office Location: Longview, Texas.
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Wesley Hill is a partner at Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, known for his courtroom success in patent cases, having successfully tried numerous cases to verdict, including over a dozen patent infringement trials. He is recognized for his work in intellectual property and patent litigation.

• Charles Everingham IV (Local Counsel, likely)

  • Firm: Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC
  • Office Location: Longview, Texas.
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Charles Everingham IV, a former Eastern District of Texas magistrate judge, is recognized for his patent litigation work, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in cases across various industries, including consumer electronics and telecommunications.

• Andrea Fair (Local Counsel, likely)

  • Firm: Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC (formerly Miller Fair Henry)
  • Office Location: Longview, Texas.
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Andrea Fair is a trial lawyer known for securing multimillion-dollar verdicts in intellectual property and patent cases, with notable successes including an $847 million result against Verizon and a $121.95 million jury verdict against Amazon. She has also assisted in cases against Samsung that resulted in significant patent infringement verdicts.

It is common for plaintiffs in the Eastern District of Texas to utilize local counsel with established experience in the court, such as attorneys from Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, even if not explicitly named in the initial filing information readily available through public docket searches. Further appearances by counsel would be listed on the case docket as the litigation progresses. The current available docket information directly names Christopher Honea.

Samsung Electronics is represented by the following counsel of record in Piney Woods Mobility LLC v. Samsung Electronics:

• Melissa Richards Smith
  • Role: Local Counsel (Partner)
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith LLP, Marshall, Texas. The firm also has an office in Tyler, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Melissa Richards Smith is highly experienced in patent litigation in the Eastern District of Texas, having tried multiple patent cases to verdict that resulted in non-infringement and invalidity verdicts. She has served as local counsel for visiting lawyers in over three thousand patent cases and is recognized by Fortune 500 companies as a "go-to" lawyer for intellectual property matters.

As of the last retrieved docket information (March 4, 2026), Melissa Richards Smith of Gillam & Smith LLP filed an unopposed motion for an extension of time to file an answer or otherwise respond to the complaint on behalf of both Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. While Samsung Electronics has various in-house counsel for patent litigation (e.g., Phillip Lee, Matthew Bathon, Tim Jezek), specific lead counsel from other firms have not yet publicly appeared on the docket for this particular case.