Highmark Inc. v. Allcare Health MGMT. SYS. (572 U.S. 559)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided April 29, 2014 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 572 U.S. 559 · 134 S. Ct. 1744
- Decided
- April 29, 2014
- Term
- October Term 2013
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Sotomayor
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice SOTOMAYOR delivered the opinion of the Court. Section 285 of the Patent Act provides: "The court in exceptional cases may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party." 35 U.S.C. § 285. In Brooks Furniture Mfg., Inc. v. Dutailier Int'l, Inc., 393 F.3d 1378 (2005), the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit interpreted § 285 as authorizing fee awards only in two circumstances. It held that "[a] case may be deemed exceptional" under § 285"when there has been some material inappropriate conduct," or when it is both "brought in subjective bad faith" and "objectively baseless." Id., at 1381. We granted certiorari to determine whether an appellate court should accord deference to a district court's determination that litigation is " objectively baseless." On the basis of our opinion in Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., ---- U.S. ----, 134 S.Ct. 1749, 188 L.Ed.2d 816, 2014 WL 1672251 (2014) argued together with this case and also issued today, we hold that an appellate court should review all aspects of a district court's § 285 determination for abuse of discretion. I Allcare Health Management System, Inc., owns U.S. Patent No. 5,301,105 (′105 patent), which covers "utilization review" in " 'managed health care systems.' " 687 F.3d 1300, 1306 (C.A.Fed.2012). Highmark Inc., a health insurance company, sued Allcare seeking a…
Excerpt of a 8,721-character opinion. The full text and citation network load in the interactive viewer above.