Mayer Brown Secures $111.7 Million Jury Award for Maxell in Patent Infringement Suit Against Samsung

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mayer Brown has achieved a major trial victory for Maxell Ltd. in a patent infringement case against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., securing a $111.7 million jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The jury found that Samsung willfully infringed three of Maxell’s patents, which cover innovative technologies related to unlocking smart devices, locating recordings, and managing digital data. The damages awarded to Maxell were calculated based on a running royalty through the trial date.

Samsung was unable to prove the invalidity of two of the asserted patents, and the jury determined that the infringement was willful, underscoring the seriousness of the violation.

This litigation forms part of a broader global dispute between Maxell and Samsung concerning the unauthorized use of Maxell’s patented technologies in a wide array of personal electronic devices.

Since July 2021, Maxell engaged in discussions with Samsung, providing detailed information about the patents and the technologies involved. Despite these efforts, Samsung declined to enter into a licensing agreement.

As a result, Maxell initiated legal proceedings in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, Germany, and Japan, and also filed a complaint before the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The Mayer Brown intellectual property team was led by partner Jamie Beaber from the Washington D.C. office. The team included partners Alan Grimaldi, Kfir Levy, James Fussell, Saqib Siddiqui, Bryan Nese, Michael Lindinger, Robert Pluta, and Amanda Streff Bonner; counsel Tiffany Miller, Paul Baldine, and Alison Gelsleichter; and associates Clark Bakewell, Seth Bruneel, Séké Godo, Tariq Javed, Courtney Krawice, So Ra Ko, Tatsuya Koyama, and Maggie Vander Woude, working across the firm’s Washington D.C. and Chicago offices.

This verdict highlights the importance of enforcing patent rights in the technology sector and demonstrates the willingness of courts to award substantial damages for willful infringement.

For further information, Mayer Brown’s team members can be contacted directly, including partner Jamie B. Beaber at +1 202 263 3153 or jbeaber@mayerbrown.com and partner Clark S. Bakewell at +1 202 263 3158 or cbakewell@mayerbrown.com.

The case underscores the ongoing challenges and complexities in protecting intellectual property rights in the global electronics market, particularly in the competitive smart device arena.