Judge Profile

Kristina M. Kalan

58 IP cases indexed. Covers patent matters.

Cases Presided Over

58 cases indexed | Page 1 of 2

patent all challenged claims upheld

LG Energy Solution, Ltd. v.Molecular Rebar Design, LLC

· IPR2024-01006

The PTAB issued a final written decision in IPR2024‑01006, finding that none of the challenged claims of the ‘909 lithium‑ion battery patent are unpatentable. LG Energy Solution’s obviousness arguments over multiple prior‑art combinations were rejected.

patent all challenged claims upheld

LG Energy Solution, Ltd. v.Molecular Rebar Design, LLC

· IPR2024-01011

LG Energy Solution’s challenge to the ’924 lithium‑ion battery patent was rejected. The Board found no sufficient evidence of obviousness over the cited prior art, leaving all five claims intact.

patent all challenged claims upheld

LG Energy Solution, Ltd. v.Molecular Rebar Design, LLC

· IPR2024-01013

The PTAB affirmed all claims of LG Energy Solution’s lithium‑ion battery patent after finding the challenger’s obviousness arguments unsupported. The Board emphasized that Ohata’s masterbatch embeds carbon nanotubes, preventing the required ionic attachment, and rejected the petitioner’s speculation about resin removal.

patent all challenged claims unpatentable

LG Energy Solution, Ltd. v.Molecular Rebar Design, LLC

· IPR2024-01012

LG Energy Solution successfully challenged the ’282 battery‑binder patent, with the PTAB finding all 16 claims unpatentable based on obviousness over multiple carbon‑nanotube references.

patent terminated or settled

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00425

Energy utilities settled their PTAB disputes with BirchTech, prompting the Board to terminate the IPRs for the settling parties and keep the settlement agreements confidential. Remaining petitioners stay in the proceeding.

patent all challenged claims upheld

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Molecular Rebar Design, LLC

· IPR2025-00357

Samsung’s IPR challenge to U.S. Patent 8,968,924, covering lithium‑ion battery compositions with discrete carbon nanotubes, was rejected. The Board found no obviousness for any of the five challenged claims, leaving the patent intact.

patent terminated or settled

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00422

Berkshire Hathaway Energy and its affiliates settled an IPR against BirchTech, leading the Board to terminate the proceeding for two petitioners while keeping the case open for the remaining parties. The settlement agreement was treated as business‑confidential information.

patent terminated or settled

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00422

The PTAB granted a joint motion to terminate the IPR as to WEC Energy Group after the parties settled their dispute over Patent 10,668,430. The termination does not affect the remaining petitioners, and the proceeding continues against them.

patent terminated or settled

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00422

The IPR against BirchTech’s patent was terminated for MidAmerican Energy Company after a settlement, while the proceeding remains open for Berkshire Hathaway Energy and PacificCorp.

patent terminated or settled

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00423

The PTAB terminated the IPR against MidAmerican Energy Company after a settlement with BirchTech Corp., while the case continues for Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Pacificorp.

patent terminated or settled

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00687

Utility companies settled multiple IPRs against BirchTech’s patents before trial. The Board granted a joint request to treat the settlement as confidential and terminated the cases for the settling petitioners.

patent terminated or settled

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00718

The Board granted a joint request to treat settlement agreements as business‑confidential and terminated the IPRs for Interstate Power & Light and Wisconsin Power & Light after the parties settled. Remaining petitioners’ IPRs continue.

patent terminated or settled

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00718

The PTAB terminated the IPRs against MidAmerican Energy Company after a settlement with BirchTech, leaving the case open only against PacifiCorp.

patent terminated or settled

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00717

The Board terminated the IPR against MidAmerican Energy Company after the parties settled, but the case continues against PacifiCorp.

patent all challenged claims upheld

ClearCorrect Operating, LLC et al. v.Align Technology, Inc.

· IPR2025-00818

The PTAB affirmed all claims of Align Technology’s ‘630 patent after finding ClearCorrect’s obviousness arguments unpersuasive. No claims were deemed unpatentable.

patent all challenged claims upheld

ClearCorrect Operating, LLC et al. v.Align Technology, Inc.

· IPR2025-00819

The PTAB affirmed Align Technology’s patent on a multilayer dental sheet composition, finding none of the ClearCorrect‑challenged claims unpatentable.

patent all challenged claims upheld

ClearCorrect Operating, LLC et al. v.Align Technology, Inc.

· IPR2025-00820

The PTAB affirmed all claims of Align Technology’s ‘630 patent after finding ClearCorrect’s obviousness arguments unpersuasive. No claim was deemed unpatentable.

patent all challenged claims upheld

ClearCorrect Operating, LLC et al. v.Align Technology, Inc.

· IPR2025-00821

The PTAB affirmed Align Technology’s patent on a dual‑shell dental sheet composition, finding none of the challenged claims unpatentable after a detailed obviousness analysis involving Hinz, Durasoft data sheets, and Sun.

patent final

Canadian Solar Inc. et al. v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01038

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision rejecting all challenged claims (10-16 and 19) in this IPR regarding solar cell fabrication techniques. The Board found that the Petitioner failed to provide sufficient motivation to combine prior art references, particularly concerning optimal dopant concentrations.

patent Final Written Decision

Canadian Solar Inc et al. v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01039

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding that claims 9, 10, and 11 of patent 8222516 were obvious over the combination of Froitzheim and Gan. The Board rejected the challenge to claim 12 due to specific limitations in the prior art references.

patent Final Written Decision

Canadian Solar Inc. et al. v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01040

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding claims 9-20 of the patent unpatentable based on obviousness (35 U.S.C. § 103). The Board found that substituting known elements, such as polysilicon emitters for diffused emitters, was predictable and rendered the claimed technology obvious over combinations of prior art references like Gan and Froitzheim.

patent final

Canadian Solar Inc. et al. v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01194

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision denying the Petitioner's arguments that claims 10-16 and 19 were unpatentable. The Board found insufficient motivation in the prior art to combine references, particularly regarding optimal dopant concentrations for solar cell fabrication techniques.

patent final

Hanwha Solutions Corporation v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd. et al.

· IPR2024-01198

The PTAB issued a final written decision denying Petitioner's challenge to claims 10-20 of Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.'s patent. The Board construed the key term 'metal impurities' as 'unintentional foreign metals,' rejecting arguments that intentional dopants qualified. Ultimately, the Petitioner failed to demonstrate unpatentability by a preponderance of the evidence.

patent Final Written Decision

Hanwha Solutions Corporation v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01199

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding all 20 challenged claims unpatentable based on obviousness (103). The Petitioner successfully demonstrated that various combinations of prior art—including Froitzheim, Gan, Smith, and Li—would render the Maxeon patent obvious to a person skilled in the art.

patent Final Written Decision

Hanwha Solutions Corporation v.Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

· IPR2024-01203

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding that claims 1-11 are unpatentable over combinations of prior art references (Froitzheim, Gan, Sheats). Claim 12 was not shown to be unpatentable. The Board found the Petitioner met its burden regarding reasonable expectation of success for several claims.

patent Final Written Decision

R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company et al. v.Healthier Choices Management Corp.

· IPR2024-01458

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding all four challenged claims of U.S. Patent No. 9538788 unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103. The Petitioner successfully demonstrated obviousness by combining various prior art references to show that the claimed vaporizing device was predictable in light of existing technology.

patent denied

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. et al. v.LiTL LLC

· IPR2024-00532

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. failed to convince the PTAB that a Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSA) would be motivated to modify Lane's hinge mechanism using Misawa's single-pivot design. The Board denied institution, finding that the proposed modification would destroy the intended functionality of the original invention.

patent instituted

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00422

The PTAB institution decision found a reasonable likelihood of prevailing for the Petitioners regarding claims covering flue gas pollutant removal. The Board addressed both anticipation and obviousness grounds, concluding that the combination of prior art references was sufficiently motivated to render the asserted claims unpatentable.

patent instituted

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00423

Berkshire Hathaway Energy et al. successfully petitioned to institute IPR against Birchtech Corp.'s patent (10668430) covering mercury removal from flue gas. The Board found Petitioners established a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on grounds of obviousness and anticipation.

patent instituted

PacifiCorp et al. v.MES, Inc.

· IPR2025-00424

The PTAB granted institution for an IPR challenging claims related to mercury removal from flue gas using activated carbon sorbents. The Board found the Petitioner met a reasonable likelihood of prevailing standard, despite disputes over prior art reduction to practice.

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