Pacific Biosciences Law Department Disqualified in Patent Case

Eight of Pacific Biosciences of California Inc.’s nine-member legal department can’t work on a patent lawsuit because one of PacBio’s lawyers used to work for Perkins Coie LLP, which represents Take2 Technologies Ltd. in litigation against PacBio, a federal judge ruled Monday.

After the parties’ submission of competing implementation proposals, Judge Edward Davila of the US District Court for the Northern District of California issued a supplemental order stating that seven attorneys from PacBio’s nine-member law department are disqualified from representing the company in the patent litigation.

Davila separately disqualified Yang Tang, the ex-Perkins lawyer, on Nov. 6.

PacBio ...