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Vonage wins round in patent battle
SHARES of internet phone company Vonage Holdings have climbed sharply on news that the company has won a legal victory in its patent infringement dispute Verizon Communications.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted Vonage's request for an extended stay of a lower court injunction while it appeals a jury finding that it infringed patents held by Verizon Communications for making calls over the internet."In layman's terms, it means business as usual," Brooke Schulz, a spokeswoman for Vonage said.The federal circuit appeals court, which specialises in hearing patent cases, put Vonage's appeal on a fast-track schedule, with arguments set for June 25.It takes the appeals court more than a year to rule on most cases. But lawyers involved in the Vonage appeal said it could be decided as soon as this summer."It's a reprieve, but possibly a short reprieve," Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus, said.Vonage shares jumped as much as 50 per cent following the ruling before paring their gains to close up 28 per cent at $US3.72 ($4.50) on the New York Stock Exchange.
Big Profits at Top Law Firms
More than half of the 100 top-grossing law firms in the United States had profits per equity partner of $1 million or more last year, according to American Lawyer. It was the first time that more than half the Am Law 100 has cracked the $1 million mark in profits per partner, the magazine said. At more than $4.4 million per partner, Washington-based Wiley Rein ranked first, thanks to $245 million in fees it earned for its work on the settlement of patent litigation between NTP and Blackberry maker Research in Motion. It was followed by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Cravath Swaine & Moore, both of which pulled in more than $3 million per partner, American Lawyer said. Wachtell, a boutique firm whose founders include takeover lawyer Martin Lipton, had topped American Lawyer's profits-per-partner list since 1998.
Veteran Trademark Lawyer Katherine McDaniel Joins Fulwider Patton
Seasoned trademark attorney Katherine L. McDaniel has joined intellectual property boutique Fulwider Patton as counsel in its local office. McDaniel, who was previously with the Santa Monica office of Bryan Cave, told the METNEWS her move to Fulwider Monday marked her first time with an intellectual property boutique in over 26 years of practice. I am very excited about this, the 55-year-old attorney said. These boutiques have really extensive experience in these areas of law that I just love. A firm like this will have a tremendous patent background, but they also have [several] trademark lawyers and people who litigate and practice in the copyright field. That way outstrips what I was experiencing in the general practice firms, where typically I would be the only IP person west of the Mississippi, and whenever I had a huge overflow of work, I would have to send it back to a midwestern office to be done by an associate there.
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