Context: In August 2021, Finesse Wireless LLC sued AT&T Mobility for allegedly infringing two radio network-related patents through the use of its 4G LTE and 5G networks (using base stations produced by Nokia) in the Eastern District of Texas. Nokia intervened in the case, but in 2023, the jury awarded Finesse $166.3 million in damages (January 16, 2023 Susman Godfrey press release).
What’s new: The Federal Circuit today ruled in favor of AT&T and Nokia, finding no infringement of the patents, and vacating the damages award (September 24, 2025 Federal Circuit decision).
Direct impact and wider ramifications: This is no doubt a huge win for Nokia and AT&T, and adds to the former’s recent winning streak in the U.S. More notably, Nokia has celebrated a few wins as a defendant in the Eastern District of Texas, including when it successfully defended itself in Daingean Technologies v. T-Mobile USA two months ago (July 12, 2025 ip fray article). Last year, there were only two cases in that court that plaintiffs lost – both of which Nokia defended: Smart Path Connections (April 12, 2024 Alston & Bird press release) and Correct Transmissions (November 6, 2024 ip fray article).
The patents-in-suit include:
- U.S. Patent No. 7,346,134 (“Radio receiver”)
- U.S. Patent No. 9,548,775 (“Mitigation of transmitter passive and active intermodulation products in real and continuous time in the transmitter and co-located receiver”)
In a statement today, Nokia said:
“Nokia agrees with the conclusion of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Nokia respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we did not believe that the Finesse patents-in-suit were infringed by the PIMC feature in Nokia’s accused products. The appeals court has come to the right conclusion.”
Counsel
Finesse Wireless was represented by Clement & Murphy’s Paul D. Clement, C. Harker Rhodes, Kevin Wynosky, as well as Susman Godfrey’s Shawn Daniel Blackburn, Megan E. Griffith, Joseph Samuel Grinstein, and Meng Xi.
The defendants were represented by MoloLamken LLP’s Jeffrey A. Lamken, Jennifer Elizabeth Fischell, Kayvon Ghayoumi, and Rayiner Hashem, as well as Baker Botts LLP’s Michael Hawes, Susan Kennedy, and Douglas M. Kubehl.