Sheppard Mullin won a $38.6 million verdict for client Qorvo Inc. in a two-week jury trial over allegations of trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement by Akoustis, Inc. and Akoustis Technologies Inc.
After finding that Akoustis infringed two Qorvo patents and willfully and maliciously misappropriated more than 36 trade secrets involving Qorvo's radio frequency technology, a jury in a Delaware federal court awarded Qorvo over $31.5 million in compensatory damages and $7 million in exemplary damages.
"This was a long, hard-fought case, and we are delighted that the jury recognized the value of our client's intellectual property and returned a verdict that will force Akoustis to account for its egregious behavior," said Sheppard Mullin partner Robert Masters, who led the Sheppard Mullin team for Qorvo.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Qorvo sued Akoustis in October 2021,
claiming that Akoustis infringed its patents covering bulk acoustic
wave resonator filters, which are a vital component in advanced
radio frequency filtering solutions for wireless devices. Qorvo
also alleged that, since its founding in 2014, Akoustis "had
engaged in conscious, methodical and systematic recruitment and
solicitation of Qorvo's employees in all major areas" in
an effort to obtain Qorvo's confidential information. Qorvo
alleged that Akoustis used Qorvo's confidential and trade
secret information "to shortcut the hard work of building an
innovative company and to shorten the typical time to market for
new products," according to the complaint.
In addition to Masters, the Sheppard Mullin trial team included
partners Jonathan DeFosse and Jennifer Klein Ayers, special counsel
Timothy Cremen, and associates Kazim Naqvi, Roy Jung, and Zachary
Alper.
The case is Qorvo Inc. v. Akoustis Technologies Inc. et al., 1:21-cv-01417, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
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