To: Michael A. Gottesman who wrote (9957 ) 4/1/2000 12:29:00 AM From: quidditch Read Replies (4) | Respond to of 60323
Michael, thanks for keeping the thread apprised of the progress of the Lexar proceeding. I agree with your response to the poster who compared the March 28 date of Judge Breyer's Memorandum and Order with the March 29 date of Lexar's filing. The decision (Memorandum and Order), you will note, was entered yesterday, the first date officially available. SEC filings are usually prepared the day before the actual filing date (or increasingly commonly with EDGAR, the day of filing), so it is likely, even with Lexar's counsel attempting to be diligent, that they were not aware of the decision. But Lexar was aware of the approximate timing of the issuance of the decision. Judge Breyer's decision, when it is read and its contents analyzed, and depending on same, may likely have a very damaging effect on Lexar's ability to go forward with the offering. The underwriters and their counsel will need to assess the impact on their client's future business prospects. Not a happy scenario for Lexar or its bankers. Now, part of the foregoing assessment as to the damage done to Lexar's ability to go forward, of course, rests on the decision itself. You know far more of the specific context of the claims and counterclaims than I. I note that each claim covered by the Judge's decision involved a motion for summary judgment: this means a finding of law w/r/t/w the facts are either not in dispute or that the parties have stipulated as to the facts. Let's skip the denial of Lexar's motions for summary judgment and focus on SNDK's motion that was granted. It war for partial summary judgment of contributory infringement. Do we know what "part" was decided and what "part" remains to be decided, in terms of the substance, the materiality, the period of the alleged infringement, etc.? In other words, do you know what element or aspect of the controller in SNDK's patent was covered by the motion that was granted? Does this grant of motion in effect mean that SNDK has won not only the battle but the war? Before I mislead any on the thread (and I am NOT a litigator or trial attorney), it should be stressed that the grant or denial of a motion for summary judgment IS appealable. Depending on the losing party's overall business/litigation strategy, Lexar may move immediately to appeal (more on that in a second), may opt to initiate or agree to settlement discussions with SNDK, or may employ a strategy of doing both, to put a card back in its hand. Part of this may depend on what "part" of SNDK's motion for partial summary judgment was granted. Lexar may also try various less seemly trial tactics. If Lexar is desparate to see its offering go forward, and if Judge Breyer's written decision is at all subject to ambiguity or interpretation, Lexar might opt to appeal immediately and use that strategem to salvage the prospectus disclosures (that is to say, Lexar can hardly go to market with a prospectus that states that "oh yeah, the core of our product line was just found to infringe a competitor's patents"). Thus coupled with (i) a statement in the SEC filing that Lexar believes the Judge's decision was erroneous and that it "intends vigorously to contest and appeal the decision" and (ii) its patent lawyers' reiteration to and persuasion of Lexar's underwriters that the lawyers' believevthat Lexar will win in the end (assuming this is either true or can be "stagemanaged"), this will "put the best face" on the new legal developments. The SEC filing will be amended to reflect the Judge's decision and Lexar's intent to appeal. Even so, in that event, the prospectus will be a much weakened selling document from the point of view of Lexar's roadshow. Note too, there is the issue of the circumstances under which SNDK will move to enjoin Lexar. I don't know any of the facts or decision, but SNDK will probably weigh among several strategies at this time. Just some food for thought. Steve