Sep. 12, 2013
Charles K. Verhoeven
See more on Charles K. VerhoevenQuinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP | San Francisco | Practice type: Litigation
Verhoeven is serving as field general for Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as the South Korean consumer electronics company battles rival Apple Inc. in a series of high stakes patent infringement disputes dubbed the "smartphone wars."
The longtime Quinn Emanuel partner nearly struck a crucial blow for Samsung this June when the International Trade Commission, an independent government body that oversees trade disputes, issued an import ban against older Apple iPhones and iPads that were found to infringe Samsung patents.
But in a move that has not been made since the 1980s, the Obama administration vetoed the ban last month, hours before it was to take effect. The veto allowed the infringing iPhones and iPads to continue to be imported and sold in the U.S.
"I was very, very disappointed that Obama vetoed the commission's determination. The commission found that Apple was an unwilling licensee," Verhoeven said. "The commission's decision was completely within stated U.S. policy."
Verhoeven, Quinn Emanuel and Samsung are now preparing for a partial retrial on damages set for November against Apple before U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose.
Koh vacated more than $400 million of a $1.05 billion jury verdict Apple won last year, citing errors made by the jury. She also rejected Apple's call for a permanent injunction against certain Samsung products, a decision that is currently on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. et al., CV11-1846 (N.D. Cal., filed Apr. 15, 2011).
Verhoeven enjoys being at the heart of these prominent legal disputes, which are prompting discussion among politicians, lawyers and the courts over which venues, strategies and damages should apply to patent infringement complaints.
"It's an exciting time for us because there is a lot of high-profile litigation going on," he said. "It's escalated the level of the policy discourse related to the litigation. For dorky lawyers, it gets us excited."
- KEVIN LEE
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