(February 8, 2018, Boston, MA) – Sheehan Phinney lawyers Peter Nieves and Bob Lucic along with their Lex Mundi colleague Brian Kramer of Morrison & Forster, as local counsel, successfully moved to transfer a patent infringement case from the Southern District of California to the District of Massachusetts relying on the US Supreme Court’s recent decision in TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods. Our client, MRSI, based in Billerica, Massachusetts was sued in San Diego by its competitor Palomar. MRSI relied on the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in TC Heartland holding, in part, that a defendant in a patent infringement lawsuit can only be sued in the jurisdiction in which it resides. After briefing the issue for the court, the Federal Circuit rendered the In re Micron Technology decision, confirming MRSI’s arguments that TC Heartland was new law, thereby providing the Court in Palomar v. MRSI with additional basis for transferring to Massachusetts, as petitioned by MRSI. The TC Heartland and In re Micron Technology cases, in combination with this present court decision, are extremely important because they reduce the likelihood that defendants will be stuck defending patent litigation claims in a jurisdiction where they do not reside.
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Sheehan Phinney is a full service business law firm representing local, national and international clients with innovative approaches and practical solutions. Founded in 1937, Sheehan Phinney has grown to over 60 attorneys with four offices throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts and is known for professional excellence, practical counsel and commitment to both its clients and the communities it serves. Sheehan Phinney is the exclusive member in New Hampshire of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of premier independent law firms.