Verdict . News

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Issues Patent Ruling in Orange Electronic v. Autel

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a nonprecedential decision on January 23, 2026, in a patent infringement dispute between Orange Electronic Co. Ltd. and Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. The case involved cross-appeals following a jury verdict and subsequent judgment as a matter of law rulings.

•Federal Circuit issued nonprecedential decision in patent dispute between Orange Electronic and Autel Technology

•District court granted judgment as matter of law on noninfringement despite jury finding infringement

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Rules for University of Washington in Guardant Patent Fight

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nonprecedential decision January 23 in a patent dispute between biotechnology company Guardant Health Inc. and the University of Washington. The case involved an appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board regarding patent validity under obviousness standards.

•Federal Circuit affirmed Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision favoring University of Washington in patent validity dispute

•Guardant Health challenged legal standards requiring motivation to combine prior art and reasonable expectation of success

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Upholds Trade Secrets Conviction in Martinez Appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Juan Martinez for conspiracy to steal trade secrets under federal law. Martinez challenged both the trial court's exclusion of a legal impossibility defense and the sentencing enhancement based on intended loss calculations.

•The 11th Circuit affirmed Martinez's conviction for conspiracy to steal trade secrets under 18 U.S.C. § 1832(a)(5)

•The court rejected Martinez's argument that he should have been allowed to raise a legal impossibility defense in closing arguments

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Affirms Dismissal After Attorney Skips Pretrial Conference

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of GS Holistic LLC's lawsuit after the plaintiff's attorney failed to attend a mandatory final pretrial conference. The January 23, 2026 ruling demonstrates the serious consequences when counsel fails to comply with basic procedural requirements.

•District court dismissed GS Holistic's case without prejudice due to attorney's failure to attend final pretrial conference

•Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal in a brief per curiam opinion

•Fifth Circuit consolidated two Section 1983 appeals filed by pretrial detainee Jermaine Watts against Fort Worth police

Fifth Circuit Reviews Consolidated Police Misconduct Appeal by Pretrial Detainee

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is reviewing consolidated civil rights lawsuits filed by pretrial detainee Jermaine Watts against multiple Fort Worth police officers and government entities. The appeals stem from two separate Section 1983 cases that were dismissed by the district court.

•Cases involve 13 defendants including police officers, supervisors, City of Fort Worth, and federal agencies

•Fifth Circuit affirmed dismissal of employment case against Clean Harbors Deer Park and multiple defendants

Fifth Circuit Affirms Employment Case Dismissal Against Clean Harbors

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of an employment lawsuit brought by Patsy E. Carmon against Clean Harbors Deer Park, L.L.C. and other defendants including a Teamsters local union. The appeals court also upheld the denial of post-judgment motions for relief.

•Appeals court upheld denial of plaintiff's post-judgment motions for relief and new trial

•Fifth Circuit rejected Tax Court's narrow interpretation limiting 'limited partner' definition to passive investors only

5th Circuit Overturns Tax Court on Limited Partner Definition

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the Tax Court's interpretation of 'limited partner' under federal tax law, rejecting the IRS's position that the term applies only to passive investors. The ruling in *Sirius Solutions v. Commissioner* could significantly impact self-employment tax obligations for limited partnerships nationwide.

•Court held that a limited partner is simply a partner in a limited partnership with limited liability

•Fifth Circuit affirmed district court ruling against three Sikh plaintiffs suing Greenville, Mississippi

Fifth Circuit Affirms District Court in Singh v. Greenville Civil Rights Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a lower court's ruling in a civil rights lawsuit brought by three Sikh plaintiffs against the City of Greenville, Mississippi, and two city officials. The appellate court found no reversible error in the district court's decision.

•Case involved allegations against police officer Martavis Moore and fire marshal Carl Nichols

•Genesis Marine appeals district court ruling on liability limitation timing in worker injury case

5th Circuit Reviews Maritime Liability Limitation in Worker Injury Case

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing Genesis Marine's appeal of a district court ruling in a case where the company seeks to limit liability after employee Brandon Darrow injured his back while working as a tankerman on the M/V Anaconda.

•Employee Brandon Darrow injured his back as tankerman on M/V Anaconda, sued for negligence