The Case: Two EV Battery Manufacturers Battle Over Trade Secrets and IP Infringement
As part of a global battle, two of the largest manufacturers of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for electric vehicles traded allegations of patent infringement and trade secret theft. In the most recent action, the complainant alleged that WIT’s client, the sole respondent, infringed a patent relating to the packaging and design of battery pack cells. Specifically, the complainant claimed that the construction of the “pouch cell” design manufactured by the respondent infringed a patent related to secondary battery design.
The Ask: A Battery Expert Who Understands Li-ion Batteries
Defense counsel approached WIT to provide highly credentialed battery experts to review the infringement claims and the validity of the asserted patent. The matter required experts with a core understanding of battery cell packaging and the materials components of the Li-ion batteries at issue.
Why WIT was Best Suited to Meet the Expert Witness Needs:
In anticipation of a high demand for expert witnesses in matters involving electric vehicles, WIT recruited and retained highly credentialed academics, technical experts, and auto industry executives to support clients in litigation. For this case, WIT recommended an expert team comprised of:
- a top materials scientist with extensive knowledge and academic research around polymer science and technology;
- a chemical engineer who studies ways to improve the performance of high capacity or high voltage electrode materials for Li-ion batteries; and
- a battery pack cell specialist with 30+ years of experience in R&D within the battery industry.
Each expert offered insights from different angles—the components within Li-ion batteries, cell packaging and manufacturing, and battery cell design—to support the respondent.
After consulting with WIT, the respondent counsel retained the entire expert team. After a full hearing at the ITC, the parties reached a global settlement.
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