- Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
- Affirmative Recovery
- American Indian Law and Policy
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appellate Advocacy and Guidance
- Business Litigation
- Civil Rights and Police Misconduct
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial/Project Finance and Real Estate
- Corporate Governance and Special Situations
- Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy
- Domestic and International Arbitration
- Entertainment and Media Litigation
- Health Care Litigation
- Insurance and Catastrophic Loss
- Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation
- Mass Tort Attorneys
- Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- Personal Injury Attorneys
- Telecommunications Litigation and Arbitration
- Wealth Planning, Administration, and Fiduciary Disputes
Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
Ediscovery, Applied Science and Economics, and Litigation Support Solutions
-
October 14, 2024Raoul Shah Recognized as New Volunteer Attorney of the Year by Tubman
-
October 14, 2024Robins Kaplan Receives LAAC Award of Merit for Landmark Ruling Benefiting Homeless Veterans
-
October 10, 2024Michael Collyard and Ronald Schutz Named to Minnesota Lawyer’s Power 30: Business Litigation List
-
October 20, 2024License Agreement Disputes:
-
October 21, 2024How Much Did We Invest in AI?
-
October 22, 2024Justice for All: Minnesota's Civil Legal Aid and Pro Bono Landscape
-
September 2024Meet Our New Partner and Trial Advocacy Seminar Keynote Speaker: B. Todd Jones
-
September 2024Q&A with Alan Harter, Founder of Pactolus Private Wealth Management
-
August 2024Recruiting & Retaining Diverse Attorneys: Building an Inclusive Legal Profession
-
September 16, 2022Uber Company Systems Compromised by Widespread Cyber Hack
-
September 15, 2022US Averts Rail Workers Strike With Last-Minute Tentative Deal
-
September 14, 2022Hotter-Than-Expected August Inflation Prompts Massive Wall Street Selloff
Find additional firm contact information for press inquiries.
Find resources to help navigate legal and business complexities.
Achieved $42.4 Million Verdict in Landmark Patent Infringement Trial for Inventor of Innovative Prelit Artificial Christmas Trees
January 18, 2024
Willis Electric Co., Ltd., v. Polygroup Limited et al, 15-cv-3443, U.S.D.C., D. Minnesota
Robins Kaplan won a jury verdict on behalf of client Willis Electric, in a competitor-v-competitor patent infringement dispute related to prelit artificial Christmas trees. The jury awarded $42.4 million – believed to be the largest patent jury verdict in District of Minnesota history – in favor of Willis Electric, as well as a finding that the patent infringement was willful.
In 2010, Johnny Chen, General Manager of Willis Electric, invented and manufactured an innovative prelit artificial Christmas Tree, the One Plug Tree, that revolutionized the assembly of artificial Christmas trees with a unique pole-to-pole electrical connection system, allowing users to effortlessly assemble and illuminate the whole tree with just one plug, in less than a minute. The product garnered immediate success after its release to major retailers.
Willis Electric’s largest competitor, Polygroup, the world's largest manufacturer of artificial Christmas trees, studied the One Plug Tree and released its version called Quick Set in the following year. Despite knowing about the patent and receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Willis Electric, Polygroup neither licensed the patent nor stopped selling Quick Set in 2014.
In 2015, Willis Electric filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Minnesota. Polygroup, in turn, filed 16 petitions to challenge Willis Electric’s patents at the Patent Office, which stayed and delayed the litigation process. Willis Electric retained Robins Kaplan as trial counsel in 2020.
Ultimately, after an eight-day trial, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict in favor of Willis Electric and against Polygroup. Willis Electric will now seek enhanced damages, prejudgment interest, and an award of attorneys’ fees.
Related Professionals
Similar Results
If you are interested in having us represent you, you should call us so we can determine whether the matter is one for which we are willing or able to accept professional responsibility. We will not make this determination by e-mail communication. The telephone numbers and addresses for our offices are listed on this page. We reserve the right to decline any representation. We may be required to decline representation if it would create a conflict of interest with our other clients.
By accepting these terms, you are confirming that you have read and understood this important notice.