Knobbe Martens Secures Complete Victory for Pavemetrics in Patent Infringement Case
Irvine, Calif. August 25, 2022 –Knobbe Martens, one of the nation’s leading intellectual property law firms, is pleased to announce that it obtained a complete victory in a jury trial for its client Pavemetrics Systems in a patent infringement suit against competitor Tetra Tech, Inc. The Knobbe trial team invalidated all patent claims and also proved that Pavemetrics had not infringed any claims.
Pavemetrics is a leader in automated railway track inspection using 3D scanning. The Knobbe team relied on Pavemetrics’ own early version of its Laser Rail Inspection System (LRAIL) to invalidate the claims. The patent owner, Tetra Tech, is a global engineering services firm with a market capitalization of $8 billion and was represented by the Finnegan firm.
After Tetra Tech threatened to sue Pavemetrics for patent infringement, in February 2021, Knobbe immediately filed for declaratory judgment in Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, Knobbe successfully defeated Tetra Tech’s early motion for a preliminary injunction. (Learn more here.) Yesterday, following a one-week trial, the jury returned its verdict in favor of Pavemetrics after deliberating for just one hour.
Knobbe partner Christy Lea, who led the Pavemetrics trial team, explained, “This complete victory confirms what we knew all along – that Pavemetrics does not infringe and that it was the true innovator in this industry.”
John Laurent, Pavemetrics’ Chief Technology Officer, praised the Knobbe trial team, stating, “We feel vindicated by this result and are thrilled by Knobbe’s compelling trial presentation.”
Richard Habel, Pavemetrics’ President, added, “We are excited by this victory, and we appreciate that our new parent company, Previan Technologies, trusted that we would defeat Tetra Tech’s meritless allegations. I hope the industry can move on from patent disputes and focus on delivering quality products to our customers.”
The case is Pavemetrics Systems, Inc. v. Tetra Tech, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-01289-MCS-MAA (C.D. Cal. 2021). A copy of the jury verdict may be found here.
In addition to Ms. Lea, who was advised by Joseph Re, the Knobbe team involved in this success included Nicholas Zovko, Raymond Lu and Alan Laquer.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a highly respected intellectual property law firm, offering legal services in all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
