Judge Urges Discipline for Lawyers Who Hid IP Litigation Funder (Correct)

Lawyers associated with Houston patent monetization firm IP Edge LLC are facing possible ethics inquiries after a judge said they used “shell” companies to obscure involvement in a string of patent lawsuits.

Delaware federal Judge Colm F. Connolly said Monday that he plans to refer the lawyers to the Justice Department, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, and state lawyer ethics officials.

The lawyers violated professional conduct rules in a scheme involving some 60 patent infringement suits in Delaware against Buzzfeed Inc., Imagine Learning, Inc., and CNET Media Inc., among others, Connolly found. IP Edge oversaw the litigation, but used LLCs ...