News
Fish & Richardson Wins $43 Million Jury Verdict for the Chamberlain Group
Following a week-long jury trial, Fish & Richardson won $43.4 million for The Chamberlain Group, LLC, a global leader in smart access whose LiftMaster® and Chamberlain® branded garage door openers are found in millions of homes. The jury found that defendants Overhead Door Corp. and GMI Holdings, Inc. (dba The Genie Company) sold garage door openers that infringe one of Chamberlain Group’s patents pertaining to remote operation of garage door openers.
“We are thrilled to prevail in this trial and appreciate the hard work of the jury,” said Fish Principal Benjamin C. Elacqua. “Chamberlain Group’s intellectual property is vital to the company, and we will continue to vigorously defend their engineers’ inventions and protect the company’s commitment to innovate.”
On Friday, January 27, 2023, the jury in the Eastern District of Texas found that Overhead Door and The Genie Company owe Chamberlain Group damages of $43.4 million for infringing products sold from May 2017 to March 2022, which constitutes $40.7 million attributable to lost profits and $2.7 million as a reasonable royalty. The jury also found damages amount to be in the form of a running royalty, meaning Chamberlain Group will continue to collect damages for infringing products sold going forward.
This verdict was the second key event in the ongoing dispute involving Chamberlain Group’s garage door opener technology in the Eastern District of Texas. Following a March 2022 trial, U.S. District Court Judge Rodney Gilstrap partially overruled the jury’s verdict and ordered a partial retrial finding that Overhead Door and The Genie Company failed to disclose key evidence until less than a day before jury selection. Judge Gilstrap sanctioned the defendants and ordered them to pay Chamberlain Group $1.1 million in attorneys fees and expenses for the late disclosure. This key evidence was highlighted throughout the second trial.
“We truly appreciate the thorough work of the jury to recognize our engineers’ ability to innovate and meet the needs of our customers,” said Chamberlain Group EVP and General Counsel Susan Bell. “This verdict came as a result of strong collaboration with the Fish team.”
The trial team was led by Fish Principals Benjamin C. Elacqua, Betty H. Chen and Ruffin B. Cordell in partnership with Melissa R. Smith of Gillman & Smith LLP and Susan Bell, Executive Vice-President and General Counsel of Chamberlain.
For media inquiries regarding this case, please contact Liz McCarthy, Fish & Richardson’s Public Relations Manager at [email protected].
About Chamberlain Group
Chamberlain Group is a global leader in smart access solutions for both residential and commercial applications. Its prominent LiftMaster®, Chamberlain®, Poweramp®, McGuire®, DLM®, Merlin®, and Grifco® brand garage door openers, commercial door openers, gate openers, access control systems, and loading dock equipment are found in millions of residential and commercial properties across the globe. Its innovative products and partnerships, powered by myQ®, make access simple for customers to move safely and securely through garages, homes, communities, businesses, and storage facilities.