Dickstein Shapiro is being represented in the suit by Goodwin Procter partner John Aldock. Encyclopaedia Britannica is being represented by attorney Robert Cummins. The suit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the National Law Journal reports.
According to the suit, Dickstein Shapiro erred in its handling of technology patents that ultimately resulted in Encyclopaedia Britannica to lose a patent infringement suit brought against several GPS manufacturers in 2007.
“The errors and omissions that led to this valuable property loss and Dickstein’s response to the admittedly negligent performance at issue are quintessential examples of hornbook malpractice,” the suit alleges.
The suit specifically cites Dickstein Shapiro partner Jon D. Grossman for “fatal prosecution errors that led to the invalidity” of its patents. The dispute dates back more than 20 years to patents related to CD-ROM technology in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, according to the NLJ.
Aldock told the publication the suit “is based on a mischaracterization of the facts and the law. The lawsuit is without merit and will be vigorously defended.”