Gold Peak Battery Company avoids trial and maintains a competitive position

Finnegan defended four different affiliates of GP Batteries International, Ltd. in an alkaline battery patent infringement case filed by Eveready at the International Trade Commission against 26 respondents. SEC records indicated that Duracell had previously paid Eveready $20 million for a license under the Eveready patent and that Rayovac and Panasonic had also been forced into paying Eveready a royalty for their alkaline batteries. Working closely with the chairman of the board, we devised a defense that resulted in a settlement agreement prior to trial that other respondents characterized as a "walk-away" deal.