As Apple and Samsung prepare to take their long-running patent spat to a jury once more, Apple accuses lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan of sharing confidential terms of its licensing agreements with Samsung and is seeking sanctions for the breach. Apple contends Samsung then used the information to gain an upper hand in negotiations with other companies and in disputes before other courts.
Quinn apologized to U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal of the Northern District of California for the disclosures, acknowledging that the firm’s reputation is at stake. But he insisted that sanctions are not called for because the firm did not intentionally leak Apple’s secrets, and there is no evidence that Samsung made improper use of the information. He chided Apple for seeking to exploit the firm’s error.
