Robert Kramer and Kramer LLP attorneys secured an important victory at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of client Polaris PowerLED Technologies. On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, the appeals court denied a mandamus petition filed by Sandisk Technologies and Western Digital Corp., affirming the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s authority to deny institution of inter partes review (IPR) proceedings challenging patents that have been in force for several years. The decision validates the USPTO’s reliance on a patent owner’s “settled expectation” in the validity of a long-issued patent as a basis for declining to institute review.

“This ruling was a significant win for inventors and patent owners who have built and relied on the value of their issued patents over time,” said Robert Kramer, Managing Partner of Kramer LLP and lead counsel for Polaris PowerLED Technologies at the time fo the ruling. “The Federal Circuit’s decision affirmed that the validity of a long-standing patent should not be perpetually open to challenge, and it recognized the legitimate, settled expectations that patent owners are entitled to rely upon. We were proud to have secured this outcome for Polaris and were gratified by what it means for the broader community of innovators our firm serves.”

The decision carried meaningful implications for patent owners and the IPR landscape, reinforcing the USPTO’s discretion to protect issued patents from belated validity challenges and lending greater certainty to the rights conferred by a patent that has stood unchallenged for years.

About Kramer LLP Kramer LLP is an intellectual property litigation firm, delivering elevated patent litigation solutions for inventors and patent owners. The firm’s team of more than 20 attorneys and technical professionals blends talent, intelligence, strategy, and expertise to secure results for clients enforcing their patents against the world’s largest infringers. Comprised of proven litigators, bold thinkers, and innovative strategists, Kramer LLP operates from offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Austin, Boston, and Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit kramerllp.com