Texas Company Wins Venue Fight Against Toyota in Eastern District Patent Cases

HOUSTON – Representing American Vehicular Sciences LLC, attorneys from Houston’s Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing, P.C., (or AZA) defeated a motion by Toyota Motor Corp. to change the venue of a major group of patent cases that were filed by the firm in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Last June, AZA filed the lead lawsuit and five similar cases on behalf of Frisco, Texas-based American Vehicular Sciences in the Eastern District’s Tyler division. In the lead lawsuit, American Vehicular Sciences LLC vs. Toyota Motor Corp., et al., No. 6:12cv404-MHS-JDL, American Vehicular Sciences says Toyota infringed two of the company’s patents for an automatic crash-notification system.

In a June 12, 2013, opinion, Eastern District U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love denied Toyota’s motion to transfer the cases to Michigan despite the company’s claim that doing so would be a better use of judicial resources based on the notion that Michigan courts are more familiar with the disputed technology.

In the ruling, Judge Love held that the Eastern District court can consider Michigan court opinions without having to transfer the cases. The judge also ruled that Toyota did not meet the burden of proof in its argument that moving the cases to Michigan would be “clearly more convenient” to the parties. In the same opinion, Judge Love declined Toyota’s attempt to separate the six lawsuits and stay the proceedings.

AZA partners Demetrios Anaipakos, Amir Alavi, Steven J. Mitby and firm of counsel Brian E. Simmons represent American Vehicular Sciences.

“American Vehicular Sciences owns an extensive automotive patent portfolio, with groundbreaking inventions in vehicle safety, operation, diagnostics and maintenance systems,” says Mr. Anaipakos. “We intend to vigorously defend our client’s intellectual property against any unauthorized and unlicensed use.”

AZA is handling the cases on behalf of American Vehicular Sciences with local counsel T. John Ward Jr. and Wesley Hill of Ward & Smith in Longview, Texas.

AZA, or AZA, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, intellectual property, securities fraud, construction and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms in the 2013 listing of the nation’s leading law firms. Corporate counsel from across the U.S. have named AZA as one of the country’s best law firms for client service among those representing the Fortune 1000. AZA has been hired on many occasions by the same companies the firm has prevailed against at trial. Read more at https://azalaw.com.