Big IP Verdicts of 2001: $46.58 Million in Case Over Aircraft Power Unit

Summary:

Honeywell International Inc. v. Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., No. 99 CV 309 (D. Del.).

A Wilmington, Del. jury awarded Honeywell International $46.58 million in a patent infringement case against Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. Honeywell charged that Sundstrand had violated the patents on a surge-control method for auxiliary power units for gas turbine engines in commercial aircraft. Honeywell claimed that Sundstrand had copied the Honeywell method from auxiliary power units sold to the French company Airbus, which was also a customer of Honeywell. The jury found the patents valid and infringed and that the infringement was willful.  Robert G. Krupka of Kirkland's Los Angeles office and Jonathan Putnam of the New York office represented Honeywell.

This article appeared in its entirety in the January 21, 2002 edition of The National Law Journal.