Inari ‘Nine-Figure’ Damages Theory Nixed in Corteva Patent Suit

Corteva Inc. convinced a federal judge to block Inari Agriculture Inc. from using portions of a late-disclosed expert opinion claiming their seed-patent lawsuit reduced Inari’s company value by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Judge John Frank Murphy, in an opinion and order issued Monday, granted Corteva’s motion to strike parts of the report by Inari damages expert Marc Zenner under a federal evidentiary standard designed to prevent unfair surprise at trial, finding the challenged valuation opinions went beyond what Inari disclosed during fact discovery. The valuation theory supported damages Inari sought in counterclaims accusing Corteva of harming its reputation.

Zenner ...