Lionel M. Lavenue

After forcing Stragent to willfully concede in open court that it could not present enough evidence to prove infringement of its asserted patents, which Stragent read on the automotive communications standard AUTOSAR, Finnegan vigorously negotiated for BMW a royalty-free license to Stragent’s entire patent portfolio. Successfully invalidated multiple Stragent patents before the Patent Office, with one victory on appeal and additional IPR petitions pending at the time of case resolution.

TCL hired Finnegan to handle the appeal of an unfavorable judgment of willful infringement at the Eastern District of Texas, which resulted in a massive damages award of over $110 million. After Finnegan tenaciously convinced the Federal Circuit that the claims were patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101, the court reversed the district court’s ruling of no invalidity, vacated the entire judgment against TCL, and awarded costs to TCL. Based on that award, Finnegan further persuaded the trial court to tax $2.35 million in costs.

Aggressively defended BMW against Stragent in a patent infringement case involving voice recognition technology that resulted in complete dismissal with prejudice following a favorable claim construction order.

Wholly obtained transfer of patent infringement lawsuit from D. Delaware to E.D. Michigan (and, later, a stay of litigation) on behalf of BMW in cases involving GPS tracking and interface technology.

Successfully obtained complete and total victory against Carrum on appeal of the District of Delaware’s claim construction to the Federal Circuit following Carrum’s stipulation of non-infringement under the claim construction, thereby exonerating BMW’s ACC system, first sold in 2000, against Carrum’s 2004 patents. Strategically invalidated several asserted claims through post-grant efforts before the U.S. Patent Office, including IPRs and EPRs, and pursued claims through proceedings before the Eastern District of Virginia to vindicate BMW’s patent challenges.

Finnegan is honored and tremendously proud to partner with CentralSquare in developing and protecting its mission-critical software and technology solutions for public sector agencies, including those serving public safety and public administration. Our dynamic team has led the drafting and prosecution of a broad portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI)-related patent applications, advancing CentralSquare’s innovations across emergency services and municipal operations. These AI technologies accelerate emergency response, streamline workflows, and strengthen data-driven decision-making for agencies and the communities they serve.

Working diligently and closely with CentralSquare’s inventors and in-house counsel, we ensure every application captures the technical depth of the invention while aligning with CentralSquare’s strategic goals. We fully prioritize clarity, enforceability, and foresight—refining claims, anticipating examiner challenges, and crafting robust Office Action responses. By anticipating industry trends in AI and preparing forward-looking applications, Finnegan thoroughly positions CentralSquare’s innovations not only to be protected, but also to drive lasting impact in public safety and beyond.