Weil has extensive experience with semiconductors, integrated circuits, and semiconductor processing and metrology. Over the years, our work has touched virtually all facets of the industry, from microprocessors and analog circuitry to dynamic random access memory and packaging technology. Weil has handled numerous engagements in mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, litigation, and technology licensing for industry participants.
Our litigation presence is anchored by our award-winning patent litigation group and its stellar track record on cases of great commercial importance in the industry. Our work has taken us into all major U.S. jurisdictions, including those considered “plaintiff-friendly,” as well as litigating patent cases under section 337 of the Tariff Act practice before the International Trade Commission. Our patent litigators have produced some of the most influential wins of the past decade in the semiconductor industry, including Lexar’s victory over Toshiba in a trade secret action and two patent infringement actions involving several patents relating to the flash memory technology and in which we obtained one of the largest jury awards ever secured in a US intellectual property trial; Intel’s victory on summary judgment (affirmed by the Federal Circuit) on a claim for $8.2 billion accusing virtually all of its microprocessors of patent infringement; and Micron’s victory in a patent infringement suit in Delaware against Rambus involving numerous DRAM patents.
Our transactional work draws on the depth and breadth of Weil’s experience litigating intellectual property issues (particularly those involving patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation) relating to semiconductor technology. The close working relationship between our litigators and our transactional attorneys enables us to take the insight and lessons gained from litigation matters to help us better advise our clients on how to protect and enforce their intellectual property, how to creatively structure transactions to avoid unintended consequences (including issues of patent exhaustion and the scope of “have made” rights), and how to develop intellectual property policies to prevent future disputes.
Weil is well known for its cutting-edge work in complex strategic transactions, assisting clients with structuring, negotiating and consummating transactions to develop, acquire, license, protect, enforce and commercially exploit intellectual property, technology, products and services. We are regularly engaged in a wide variety of sophisticated transactions ranging from technology and intellectual property acquisition, joint ventures, technology and intellectual property development and licensing, strategic alliances, co-marketing arrangements, outsourcing, professional services agreements, e-commerce agreements to intellectual property audits and due diligence.