Because my practice focuses on complex commercial disputes–especially cases involving antitrust, oil and gas, and patents–I keep daily track of important decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals.

You can follow along during the week on Twitter (@contingencyblog) or here at The Contingency each Monday with this Commercial Case Roundup: U.S. Appeals.

• Arbitrator had power to certify arbitration class.

 

• Standing to sue question precluded class treatment of TCPA claims.

 

• New GM didn’t assume Old GM’s liability for punitive damages.

 

• Live dispute didn’t require declaratory judgment.

 

• Prior art rendered patent claiming online game in which “unit” improves when “pilot” does obvious.

 

• “Franchise theory” of personal jurisdiction fails to snag Disney subs that lacked contacts with Texas.

 

• Patent teaching wave-phase scrambling to improve data transmission wasn’t obvious.

 

• Prosecution history estopped claim that patent covered blood glucose test under doctrine of equivalents.

 

• IPR filer claiming patent invalidity couldn’t rely on proof it cited in ground on which Board declined to institute review, deeming it redundant.