US District Court DDE Docket Feed

Belden Inc. v. CommScope Inc. - Patent Claim Construction

The US District Court for the District of Delaware issued a memorandum opinion on April 22, 2026 construing disputed claim terms in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,991,030 and 10,832,833 in Belden Inc. v. CommScope Inc. The patents concern electromagnetic interference (EMI) controlling tape for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables. Of the 70 total claims between the two patents, Plaintiff Belden is asserting 10. Oral argument was held on December 15, 2025 following submission of a Joint Claim Construction Brief.

STOLI Policy Void Ab Initio Under Delaware Law, Ameritas Wins

The US District Court for the District of Delaware ruled on April 21, 2026 that a life insurance policy purchased through a STOLI arrangement is void ab initio under Delaware law, which requires an insurable interest when procuring a policy. The court granted summary judgment to Ameritas Life Insurance Corp, the insurer, rejecting U.S. Bank's argument that the policy was enforceable and awarding Ameritas retention of the death benefit and premium payments. The ruling aligns with the Delaware Supreme Court's 2011 decision in PHL Variable Insurance Co. v. Price Dawe, which confirmed that STOLI policies constitute unlawful wagers and that insurers may challenge them even after the contestability period expires.

Coastal Electrical Construction LLC v. Jernigan - Trade Secrets Dismissed

The United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted Defendants' Motion to Dismiss in Coastal Electrical Construction LLC v. Kenneth Jernigan and Lineco LLC (Civil Action No. 25-1295-GBW). The Court found that Plaintiff failed to sufficiently state its federal claim under the Defend Trade Secrets Act and, lacking federal question jurisdiction, declined supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims including breaches of non-compete and non-solicitation provisions, common law tort claims, and unfair competition. The Court also denied as moot Defendants' Motion to Stay Discovery and both parties' Requests for Oral Argument.