Two trials in East Texas later this year will go a long way in determining whether a total of five separate patent infringement lawsuits from a small Dallas-area company will turn into billion-dollar problems for two of the largest makers of “smart” electric meters in the U.S.
Itron Inc. and Landis+Gyr could face combined exposure of more than $2.88 billion by way of the five separate cases from Carrollton’s TransData.
Of the five cases that Itron and Landis+Gyr must worry about, two set for trial in Tyler this year will probably influence the ultimate outcomes of the other three, according to Jamie McDole, a Dallas-based partner at Haynes and Boone who is leading TransData’s legal charge.
“This is a very large case,” said McDole, whose client has 23 employees and was founded in 1969. The first Tyler trial, set for July 18, will be in the courtroom of Magistrate Judge John D. Love.
Excerpted from Texas Lawbook. To read the full article, please click here.