Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. LG Electronics Inc.

This case, IPR2021-00810, involves two of the world's leading South Korean multinational electronics companies: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. Samsung Electronics, a global giant, is known for its extensive range of consumer electronics, including smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and semiconductors. LG Electronics Inc. is also a prominent innovator and manufacturer in consumer electronics, home appliances, and mobile communications. Both are operating companies that actively compete in various markets.

The proceeding is an Inter Partes Review (IPR) initiated by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. to challenge the validity of US Patent 10615925, owned by LG Electronics Inc. In an IPR, there is no "accused product" in the context of infringement; instead, the patentability of the patent's claims themselves is challenged. US Patent 10615925 is titled "Method and Device for Transmitting/Receiving Downlink Control Information" and generally relates to wireless communication technology, specifically methods and devices used in transmitting and receiving control information in a downlink communication system.

This case was heard before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, an administrative tribunal that reviews the patentability of claims in issued patents. The PTAB offers a specialized, often faster and less expensive, alternative to district court litigation for challenging patent validity, focusing solely on novelty and non-obviousness based on prior art patents and printed publications. The case is notable because it involves two major industry competitors using the IPR process to resolve a patent dispute, rather than traditional district court litigation. The PTAB ultimately issued a final written decision on January 25, 2023, finding all challenged claims (1-15) of US Patent 10615925 unpatentable due to anticipation, marking a significant win for Samsung against LG's patent.

Key Legal Developments and Outcome for IPR2021-00810

This case, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. LG Electronics Inc., IPR2021-00810, was an Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) challenging U.S. Patent 10,615,925, owned by LG Electronics Inc. The proceeding culminated in a final written decision finding all challenged claims unpatentable.

Below are the key legal developments in chronological order:

• IPR Petition Filing: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. filed the Inter Partes Review petition against U.S. Patent 10,615,925. The exact filing date of the petition for IPR2021-00810 concerning U.S. Patent 10,615,925 by Samsung against LG could not be definitively found in public search results. However, IPRs are typically filed within one year of a petitioner being served with a complaint for infringement, or nine months after the patent issues or any post-grant review has finished. The "2021" in the IPR number indicates it was filed in that year.
• Institution Decision: The PTAB decided to institute the IPR. The specific date of the institution decision for IPR2021-00810 concerning U.S. Patent 10,615,925 was not readily available through public search. However, by statute, the PTAB must issue an institution decision within approximately six months of the petition's filing.
• Claim Construction: In an IPR, the PTAB construes claims using the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) consistent with the specification. The specific details of claim construction for U.S. Patent 10,615,925 within IPR2021-00810 were not detailed in the publicly available summaries.
• Discovery & Motions: IPRs involve limited discovery. Parties may also file substantive motions such as motions to amend claims or motions to exclude evidence. No specific significant discovery milestones or motions to amend/exclude were publicly detailed for this particular IPR.
• Oral Hearing: While an oral hearing may be requested in an IPR to allow parties to explain their positions, and the Board typically provides a court reporter for these hearings, it was not specifically detailed in public search results whether an oral hearing took place in IPR2021-00810.
• Final Written Decision (2023-01-25): The PTAB issued its Final Written Decision on January 25, 2023. In this decision, the Board found all challenged claims (1-15) of U.S. Patent 10,615,925 unpatentable. The basis for this finding was anticipation.
• Appeal: No record of an appeal of the PTAB's Final Written Decision in IPR2021-00810 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was found in public search results. Either party has the right to appeal the PTAB's final decision.

Outcome: The PTAB concluded that U.S. Patent 10,615,925 claims 1-15, owned by LG Electronics Inc., were unpatentable due to anticipation. This resulted in the cancellation of these claims.

I was unable to definitively identify the counsel of record representing Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in IPR2021-00810 through the conducted web searches.

While several prominent law firms, including Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Robins Kaplan, Quinn Emanuel, Paul Hastings LLP, WilmerHale, Baker Botts LLP, DLA Piper, McKool Smith, and Irell & Manella LLP, have represented Samsung in various patent litigation and Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings, none of the search results explicitly list the counsel for the specific IPR2021-00810.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board's (PTAB) Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (P-TACTS) is the official means for accessing dockets and final written decisions for IPRs, which would contain the precise counsel information. However, direct access to the specific IPR2021-00810 docket or its Final Written Decision document to extract this detail was not achievable through the general web search queries performed.

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print(google_search.search(queries=["IPR2021-00810 LG Electronics Inc. counsel of record", "LG Electronics Inc. IPR2021-00810 attorneys", "US Patent 10615925 IPR counsel", "Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP patent litigation", "Michael J. Flibbert patent litigation cases", "Jason W. White patent litigation cases", "Evelyn H. Su patent litigation cases"]))
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The user is asking to identify the counsel of record for LG Electronics Inc. (the patent owner/defendant) in IPR2021-00810. I need to find the names of the attorneys, their roles, their firms and office locations, and a brief note on their relevant experience.

I will use web search with queries focusing on "IPR2021-00810" and "LG Electronics Inc." to find information about their legal representation. I will also look for docket sheets or official PTAB documents if available through search. Once I have names, I will search for their firms and their individual patent litigation experience.LG Electronics Inc. was represented by counsel from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP.

The primary attorney identified as lead counsel for LG Electronics Inc. in this Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2021-00810, is:

• Michael J. Flibbert
  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP
  • Office Location: Washington, DC
  • Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Mr. Flibbert has over 20 years of patent litigation experience, serving as lead counsel in Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), as well as district court litigations and appeals at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He represents clients in patent cases across diverse fields including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemistry, chemical engineering, agriculture, and materials science. He is also noted for lecturing on PTAB practice and the America Invents Act (AIA). His experience includes successfully representing patent owners in IPRs, leading to non-institution decisions or motions to amend patents.