Miami Team Secures Defense Verdict in Multimillion-Dollar Patent Infringement Case

Miami, Fla. (March 17, 2023) - Miami Managing Partner Todd R. Ehrenreich and Partner David L. Luck, acting as co-counsel with a Boston law firm, recently secured a defense verdict in a multimillion-dollar federal patent infringement case on behalf of a bike wheel manufacturer. As reported by Law360, the plaintiff sued Lewis Brisbois’ client in 2021 for patent infringement, alleging that the firm’s client copied two of the plaintiff’s wheel designs, including the "undulating" pattern on the inside of its high-performance bicycle wheels. The plaintiff claimed that due to the alleged infringement, it sustained lost profits and lost royalties in the eight-figure range. In response, Lewis Brisbois’ client denied copying the plaintiff’s patents, maintaining that the profiles of its peaks were concave, while the plaintiffs’ were convex. The defendant further contended that although its concave design was similar to one that preceded the plaintiff’s designs, the patent on the original design had expired.

The case ultimately proceeded to trial. At the close of the trial, the nine-person jury determined that Lewis Brisbois’ client did not infringe on the plaintiff’s designs, finding that the company did not have knowledge of an existing patent by the time it launched the product in question. The jury also concluded that several elements of the defendant’s designs were not similar enough to be considered infringement. As such, it did not award damages to the plaintiff.

Mr. Ehrenreich serves as a co-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability Practice. His practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, construction defect, premises liability and negligent security, and mass tort/class actions.

Mr. Luck serves as vice-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Appellate Practice. He focuses on appeals and appellate trial support in federal court, Florida state court, and various jurisdictions in which he has been admitted pro hac vice. Mr. Luck’s areas of concentration include products liability, general liability, commercial litigation, insurance coverage and alleged bad faith, and personal-injury defense.