Judge Albright has entered a new Standing Order Regarding Filing Documents Under Seal and Redacted Public Versions. The Order is almost identical to the previous order from February 2021, with the addition of this language:
"When this Court enters an order resolving a motion in which one or more of the parties filed briefing under seal, the Court will enter its order under seal. The movant shall follow the above protocol and file a publicly available, redacted version of the Court’s sealed order within seven days after the Court enters the sealed order."
Judge Albright entered a revised Order Governing Proceedings - Patent Cases: OGP Version 3.5. Some notable changes include:
Page limits:
There is still no limit on the number of motions for summary judgment, Daubert motions, or motions in limine that can be filed. However, the Court has added page limits for Daubert motions and MILs. Absent leave of Court, the cumulative page limits for opening briefs are:
- All Motions for Summary Judgment: 40 pages per side;
- All Daubert motions: 40 pages per side;
- All Motions in Limine: 15 pages per side.
Responsive briefs for MSJ, Daubert, and MIL ...
The patent jury trial for Profectus Technology LLC v. Google LLC - Case No. 6:20-cv-101 has begun in the Waco Division. As per the Court's typical procedure, a live audio feed is available for the public to listen to the trial proceedings. The dial-in information is:
Number: 1-669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 161-859-1491
Passcode: 823937
One tap mobile :
US: +16692545252,,1618591491#,,,,*823937# or +16692161590,,1618591491#,,,,*823937#
Today, Judge Albright entered his Second Amended Standing Order Regarding Motions for Inter-District Transfer, which replaces the previous June 8 Order.
The Second Amended Order still requires a party who has filed a motion for inter-district transfer to provide the Court with a report regarding the briefing status prior to the Markman hearing, but with a few changes:
- A party must file the status report with respect to whether the motion has been fully briefed and is ready for resolution no later than four weeks prior to the date of the Markman hearing (amended from six weeks in the prior ...
Judge Albright has entered a new Standing Order Regarding Joint or Unopposed Request to Change Deadlines.
Any request to extend a deadline or amend a scheduling order will be automatically granted as long as: (1) it is unopposed or agreed; and (2) it does not change any hearing/trial date or any final submission to the Court related to a hearing/trial.
The parties must file this as a Request instead of a Motion.
Standing Order for Discovery Hearings in Patent Cases:
Today, Judge Albright entered a new Standing Order for Discovery Hearings in Patent Cases. No later than 7 days after a discovery hearing, the prevailing party must submit a proposed order briefly summarizing the dispute and the parties' understanding of the Court's ruling. If the parties cannot agree on the language in the proposed order, they may submit respective proposed orders to the Court for resolution.
The Court has noted recently that that many discovery hearings involve the same disputed issues. This new procedure ...
Another patent infringement jury trial began this morning in the Waco Federal Courthouse: Freshub, Inc. et al v. Amazon.Com Inc. et al - Case No. 6-21-cv-00511.
The Court has provided a dial-in for members of the public to call in and listen to the trial proceedings in real time:
Number: 1-669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 160-731-3863
Passcode: 300137
Naman Howell's very own John Palmer has the privilege of serving as local counsel in this matter. We will provide updates here during trial for those unable to listen to the entirety.
Judge Albright, who has presided over patent cases in multiple Divisions within the Western District of Texas, appears to have issued his first order denying a motion to transfer venue for convenience from the Waco Division to the Austin Division. Until this point, he has generally been very open to intra-district transfers for convenience, both opposed and unopposed.
Case No. 6:20-cv-108 (ParkerVision, Inc. v. Intel Corp.) was filed in the Waco Division in February 2020. On July 10, 2020, Intel moved to transfer the case under § 1404(a) to the District of Oregon or, alternatively ...
Yesterday marks the entry of the 11th supplemental order from Chief Judge Garcia regarding Court operations in WDTX during the pandemic. The evolution of the Court’s orders regarding COVID can all be accessed HERE.
The 11th Order is substantially similar to last month's order and essentially extends the status quo through January 31, 2021. As a general rule, all jury trials scheduled to begin through January 31, 2021 are continued. Bench trials may proceed if they can be conducted with appropriate safety precautions.
The Order also affirms divisional discretion to proceed ...
As part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are now on the seventh supplemental order from Chief Judge Garcia regarding Court operations in WDTX during this strange time. The evolution of the Court's orders regarding COVID can all be accessed HERE.
Here are the highlights from the latest Order:
Trials Continued Through September 30, 2020:
All trials, both civil and criminal, bench and jury, currently set through September 30, 2020 are continued.
Discretion to Proceed With Jury Trials:
WDTX encompasses 68 different counties and the Court recognizes that the public health ...
The Chief Judge of the Western District of Texas just issued an Order Regarding Court Operations Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Of note: "All civil and criminal bench and jury trials scheduled to begin on any date from now through May 1, 2020, are continued, to a date to be reset by each presiding judge." (See below for entire text of the Order).
It is too early to tell how that will effect the calendar in the months to come, especially given the speedy trial clock attached to criminal trials which will put them at the forefront of the schedule. We will keep you ...
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With over 50 years of combined experience with federal court practice in the Western District, our team boasts former federal clerks and outstanding litigators with unrivaled experience in local federal litigation. Our contributors are all located in the Waco office of Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee. With an office just blocks from the Waco courthouse, we have our finger on the pulse of the emerging patent litigation practice in the Waco Division of the Western District, and we want to share that expertise with you.