3M has sued TransWeb LLC for patent infringement and the case is before United States District Court Judge John R. Tunheim (D. Minn.). TransWeb, in turn, represented by the prestigious bi-coastal litigation powerhouse, Quinn Emanuel (and locally by Leonard Street & Deinard), has a problem with that. To hear New Jersey-based TransWeb tell it, they have never set foot in “fly-over” country, except for when 3M sought out TransWeb free sample TransWeb products (which TransWeb strongly hints was done simply as a jurisdictional trap, but which the lawyers go out of their way not to say expressly).
In short, TransWeb argues that the federal court in the District of Minnesota cannot assert jurisdiction over it consistent with the U.S. Constitution.
3M, in response, seeks expedited jurisdictional discovery before responding the TransWeb’s motion to dismiss. TransWeb has a problem with that too.
In the next several weeks, the jurisdictional dispute will be resolved one way or the other. There is a “shock and awe” aura to this early threshold skirmishing, however, that suggests this litigation, wherever it is to be played out, may be long and hard-fought.