Judge Won’t Bar IP Law Firm Fish in Semiconductor Patent Fight

A Delaware district court judge has refused to disqualify Fish & Richardson PC from representing Volterra Semiconductor LLC in a patent lawsuit against rival semiconductor company Monolithic Power Systems Inc.

Judge Colm Connolly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware said the infringement dispute wasn’t substantially similar to patent work that the intellectual property boutique firm had done for Monolithic.

The decision Wednesday illustrates how courts consider whether a firm’s work for a former client rises to the level of a conflict that creates issues in a future case.

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Volterra sued Monolithic in December alleging ...