Samsung’s patent infringement battle with Apple has taken an interesting turn now that the chip maker has asked the Judge overseeing the case to disqualify Apple’s legal team over allegations of conflict of interest. At least part of Apple’s battalion of attorneys previously worked for a different law firm that represented Samsung, and the company thinks those lawyers could potentially pass on trade secrets, according to Foss Patents.
Samsung wants to toss out Apple’s lawyers
The lawyers in question worked for the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis before joining Bridges & Mavrakakis, which is one of the three law firms representing Apple in its patent battle against Samsung. Kirkland & Ellis, while the lawyers in question worked there, previously represented Samsung in a different patent infringement case.
Because of that tie, Samsung claimed the lawyer’s presence “taints all attorneys at Bridges & Mavrakakis through imputation.”
Samsung also alleged that because of the interaction between the three law firms representing Apple in their patent battle, that all are potentially tainted and should be removed from the case unless they can satisfactorily prove otherwise.
Apple and Samsung are currently locked in a legal battle over allegations that they are infringing on each other’s mobile device and wireless technology patents.
Apple hasn’t commented on Samsung’s latest allegations, although the company will no doubt work to keep its legal team from being forced off of the case.