Verizon Wireless (VZ.N) has reached a settlement in the ongoing lawsuit filed by General Access Solutions (GAS), resolving a contentious patent dispute involving Verizon’s 5G technology. The settlement comes after a Texas federal jury originally awarded GAS $847 million in damages, which was later overturned by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap in September.
The two companies filed a joint statement on Sunday, announcing that they had resolved the lawsuit, though the details of the settlement remain undisclosed. This filing comes just days after a retrial was ordered, following the judge’s ruling that the original verdict was “against the great weight of the evidence.”
The legal battle began in 2022 when GAS, a patent holder, sued Verizon over alleged infringement of patents related to 5G wireless technology. GAS claimed that Verizon’s use of wireless base stations, mobile phones, hotspots, and routers violated intellectual property rights associated with wireless communications technology originally developed by the now-defunct startup WestEnd Broadband in the early 2000s.
In June 2023, a jury in Marshall, Texas, found in favor of GAS, awarding the company $847 million in damages. However, Judge Gilstrap later ruled to overturn this verdict, prompting the retrial that began in early October.
As the retrial commenced, Verizon and GAS agreed to pause the proceedings for 30 days while finalizing the settlement terms. The move indicates both parties are keen to resolve the matter outside of the courtroom, ending a lengthy legal battle that began over two years ago.
Despite the settlement, the case highlights ongoing tensions in the telecommunications sector over intellectual property rights, particularly as companies vie for dominance in the rapidly evolving 5G market.
Representing GAS are Glen Summers, Nosson Knobloch, and Michael Valaik of Bartlit Beck. Verizon’s legal team includes Katherine Dominguez, Josh Krevitt, Brian Rosenthal, and Jaysen Chung from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.
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