Finnegan secures dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction for client SK Innovation

Finnegan defended Korea-based client SK Innovation (SKI) in a patent infringement suit against plaintiff Celgard LLC in the Western District of North Carolina, where Celgard is located. After extensive jurisdictional discovery, the court granted SKI’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and denied Celgard’s motion for preliminary injunction. Finnegan also obtained relief from the court for SKI after it was discovered that Celgard sent SKI confidential information to Celgard’s Korean counsel in unrelated Korean proceedings between the parties. The relief included prohibition of further transmission of SKI confidential information to Celgard’s Korean counsel and a bar against each of Celgard’s Korean attorneys who viewed SKI confidential information from further work on the Korean proceedings. Celgard appealed the district court’s dismissal of the case to the Federal Circuit. Finnegan represented SKI in the appeal as well. After full briefing and an oral argument, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of the case, securing SKI’s victory on the issue of personal jurisdiction.