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Alana LeFebvre is an attorney whose passions for technology, math and science drive her to provide exceptional legal solutions. In addition, her approachability makes her a standout asset in the Litigation Group.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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What truly distinguishes Alana is her dedication to her clients. She’s always ready to assist by giving guidance that’s direct and in each client’s best interests. Alana’s clear goal setting and thorough legal research help put clients into the best position possible.&nbsp;

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Furthermore, her meticulous nature and her responsiveness mean clients can always trust that no detail is overlooked. She believes in taking a candid approach which leaves no room for vagueness.&nbsp;

This straightforward approach, combined with her intrinsic drive for excellence, makes her a valuable member of any team. Clients know they’re partnering with someone who’ll give everything in her pursuit of their best interests.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For Alana, the allure of intellectual property law is its dynamic nature. As technology continues to evolve, so too does the legal landscape surrounding it. She thrives in this ever-changing environment, always staying informed on the latest legal developments pertaining to technology and IP.

Born and raised in Colorado, Alana is thrilled to work for the Denver office of Merchant &amp; Gould. When not in the office, she enjoys reading and hiking.

University of Denver Sturm College of Law, J.D., 2023

University of Denver, M.A. International Relations and National Security Studies, 2015

University of Denver, B.S. Chemistry, 2014

Denver

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion in <a href="https://cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/22-1905.OPINION.4-12-2024_2300689.pdf">Luv n&#8217; care, Ltd. v. Laurain, No. 2022-1905 (Apr. 12, 2024)</a>, affirming the district court’s judgment that unclean hands barred recovery on all counterclaims.



Luv n’ care, Ltd. and Nouri Hakim (collectively “LNC”) sued Lindsey Laurain and Eazy-PZ, LLC (collectively “EZPZ”) for acts of unfair competition and sought declaratory judgment that EZPZ’s U.S. Design Patent No. D745,327 and U.S. Patent No. 9,462,903 are invalid, unenforceable, and not infringed. EZPZ filed counterclaims for infringement of the ‘327 and ‘903 patents as well as copyright, trademark, and trade dress infringement, acts of unfair competition, and unjust enrichment. The district court found that the doctrine of unclean hands barred EZPZ from seeking relief on all counterclaims. &nbsp;



The Federal Circuit affirmed. The Court found no clear error in the district court’s finding that EZPZ engaged in unconscionable conduct with respect to its claim of infringement of the ‘903 patent which bore a necessary and immediate connection to all EZPZ’s counterclaims. First, the Court held that the record supported the district court’s finding that EZPZ “by deceit and reprehensible conduct attempted to gain an unfair advantage” resulting in “loss of confidence in [EZPZ’s] candor.” EZPZ failed to disclose relevant patent applications related to the ‘903 patent until after close of discovery and dispositive motion practice without providing good faith justification, attempted to prevent LNC from discovering relevant prior art searches, and EZPZ witnesses purposefully gave false testimony.



Second, the Court held that the record supported a finding that EZPZ’s conduct bore an “immediate and necessary” connection to EZPZ’s claim of infringement of the ‘903 patent. One undisclosed patent application was directly relevant to a disputed claim term in the ‘903 patent, the prior art searches may have supported a finding that EZPZ located key references prior to filing the patent application leading to the ‘903 patent, and false testimony by EZPZ witnesses deprived LNC of material information relevant to its litigation strategy.



Finally, the Court held that the record supported a finding that EZPZ’s conduct bore an “immediate and necessary” connection to its remaining counterclaims. The district court held that “[t]he [c]ourt’s loss of confidence in a party’s candor cannot be overcome with respect to other theories of recovery” and the Federal Circuit found no clear error. Accordingly, EZPZ is barred from seeking recovery on all counterclaims.

CAFC Affirms Judgment that Unclean Hands Barred Recovery on all Counterclaims

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion in <a href="https://cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/23-1336.OPINION.7-31-2024_2359524.pdf">Sanho Corp. v. Kaijet Tech. Int’l Ltd., No. 23-1336 (Fed. Cir. 2024)</a>, affirming the PTAB’s decision that a private sale was not a “public disclosure” under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(2)(B).



Kaijet Technology International Limited filed a petition for inter partes review challenging as obvious most claims of U.S. Patent No. 10,572,429 owned by Sanho Corporation. Each obviousness combination relied on U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0165053 (“Kuo”). Although the effective filing date of Kuo predated the priority date of the ’429 patent, Sanho argued Kuo was not prior art because the inventor of the ’429 patent “publicly disclosed” the relevant subject matter through a private sale prior to the effective filing date of Kuo.



Under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(2)(B), a disclosure is not prior art where “the subject matter disclosed had . . . been publicly disclosed by the inventor” prior to the effective filing date of the disclosure. The PTAB concluded the private sale at issue was not a “public disclosure” and found claims 1-6 and 13-17 of the ’429 patent unpatentable as obvious over Kuo. Sanho appealed, contending the phrase “publicly disclosed” incorporates all the same disclosures as §&nbsp;102(a)(1) including “on sale” and “public use.”



On appeal, the Federal Circuit considered “whether a non-confidential but otherwise private sale results in” public disclosure under § 102(b)(2)(B). First, the Court found that according to the plain language of the statute, “publicly disclosed” has a different meaning than “disclosed.” Thus, not all disclosures that fall within § 102(a)(1) are public disclosures and placing an invention “on sale” may result in a disclosure under § 102(a)(1) without constituting a public disclosure under § 102(b)(2)(B). Second, the Court looked to the purpose of the statute finding that, to serve the objectives underlying patent protection, “publicly disclosed” means the invention was made available to the public. Third, the Court found the legislative history supports a finding that an invention must be available to the public to be “publicly disclosed.”



Applying this construction, the Court found the private sale at issue was not a public disclosure because there was no evidence the subject matter of the invention was made available to the public. In fact, there was no evidence the invention was ever manufactured or delivered. Thus, the Board did not err in determining Kuo was prior art.

Alana L. LeFebvre

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