Viasat loses bid to disqualify regulation firm Gibson Dunn in Western Digital patent case

(Reuters) – U.S. law company Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher on Tuesday fended off an attempt by Viasat (VSAT.O) to disqualify it from representing rival satellite communications organization Western Electronic (WDC.O) in the companies’ patent dispute in Texas federal court docket.

Viasat claimed that Gibson Dunn represents it in other matters and moved to disqualify it from the case on moral grounds following Western Digital’s direct legal professional joined the Los Angeles-founded business.

U.S. District Choose Alan Albright rejected the motion, according to a Tuesday docket entry, getting that Gibson Dunn had presented “satisfactory safeguards” to keep on handling Western Digital’s situation.

Representatives for the businesses and Gibson Dunn did not right away answer to requests for remark on Wednesday.

Carlsbad, California-based mostly Viasat sued Western Electronic in 2021, alleging its information-storage products infringe patents similar to error-correction technological know-how. Western Digital’s lead lawyer Kieran Kieckhefer moved to Gibson Dunn from law organization Shearman & Sterling previous thirty day period.

Viasat requested the courtroom to clear away Gibson Dunn from the circumstance shortly right after. The firm reported it has been a Gibson Dunn client considering that 2017 and that the business currently represents it in a another patent dispute with Acacia Communications above linked technological innovation.

“Possibly on your own is sufficient justification to disqualify Gibson Dunn,” Viasat mentioned. “With each other, the conflict — and pitfalls that Viasat data is improperly applied from Viasat — is overpowering.”

Viasat said Gibson Dunn received appropriate private information from the Acacia scenario, and that equally scenarios relate to the benefit of a Viasat patent license with Acacia that the company would “attack” in the Western Electronic case.

Gibson Dunn and San Jose, California-based mostly Western Digital told the court docket that Viasat experienced beforehand agreed to waive any conflict and that it was in search of a “strategic edge.” The company also claimed it experienced carried out an “moral monitor” to wall off lawyers performing on Viasat issues from the circumstance.

The situation is Viasat Inc v. Western Digital Corp, U.S. District Court docket for the Western District of Texas, No. 6:21-cv-01230.

For Viasat: Scott McBride of Bartlit Beck

For Western Digital: Kieran Kieckhefer of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Go through more:

Viasat asks judge to boot Gibson Dunn from patent case immediately after attorney retain the services of

Viasat sues Western Electronic, Kioxia over knowledge-storage patents

Shearman & Sterling IP husband or wife leaves business for Gibson Dunn

Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington

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