Declarant’s Intentional Misrepresentation Not Remedied By Contradictory Supporting Exhibits
Client Alert | 1 min read | 03.26.07
In eSpeed, Inc. v. Brokertec USA, L.L.C., (No. 06-1385; March 20, 2007), the Federal Circuit affirms the district court’s judgment declaring a patent unenforceable due to inequitable conduct. eSpeed submitted three declarations and 1139 pages of supporting exhibits disclosing a prior system implemented by eSpeed. One of the declarations stated that the prior system did not include computer code that implements particular trading rules. The supporting exhibits, however, disclosed that the system included computer code for implementing those trading rules. Rejecting eSpeed’s argument the contradictory supporting exhibits vitiated the materiality of the false statements, the Federal Circuit holds that these false statements left the examiner with the impression that further investigation into the operation of the system was not required.
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25
On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.19.25
