Blackbird Technologies

Blackbird Technologies operates as an intellectual property monetization company, acquiring patents and asserting them through litigation, rather than functioning as a traditional client-facing law firm. This entity was co-founded by former BigLaw attorneys and utilizes in-house legal expertise to manage its extensive litigation and licensing activities. While specific office locations are sometimes associated with the company's operations, it has been linked to offices in Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, and Concord, MA.

The firm's patent litigation practice is exclusively plaintiff-side, focusing on monetizing acquired intellectual property by initiating infringement lawsuits. Blackbird Technologies asserts patents across a diverse range of technology areas. Its portfolio and litigation activities have involved consumer electronics, wearables (such as fitness trackers), software, computer display technology, data storage, and various mechanical and electronic devices.

Notable engagements include Blackbird Tech LLC v. Fitbit, Inc., which involved a patent related to step-counting devices; in this case, the Federal Circuit affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) finding that one claim was unpatentable due to obviousness. The firm also resolved Blackbird Tech LLC v. Garmin International, Inc. et al., a patent infringement suit concerning fitness tracker technology, through settlement. In a significant outcome, the Federal Circuit upheld an award of over $363,000 in attorneys' fees against Blackbird Tech LLC in Blackbird Tech LLC v. Health in Motion LLC, citing the company's unreasonable litigation conduct in an "exceptional" case. The Supreme Court subsequently denied Blackbird's petition for certiorari on this matter. Blackbird Technologies is frequently a patent owner/respondent in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings at the PTAB, having faced numerous challenges to its patents by defendants and defensive patent aggregators.

The patent litigation efforts are spearheaded by co-founders Wendy Verlander and Christopher Freeman. Ms. Verlander, who serves as President and CEO, previously held a partner position at WilmerHale. Mr. Freeman, the Vice President and Head of Litigation, was formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Both actively participate as in-house counsel in shaping and executing Blackbird Technologies' litigation strategy.