Editor’s note: On May 1, the Texas Lawyer editorial department hosted a roundtable discussion in Dallas, "Patent Law: Best Practices As Seen From The Bench." Panelists included U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Payne, both of the Eastern District of Texas, and U.S. District Judges Barbara Lynn and Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas. This is the second part of the discussion. The judges’ discussion covered joinder and multi-defendant cases, damage awards, Markman hearings, and best and worst moments in courtroom advocacy. It has been edited for length and style. [See the first part of the discussion, "Judges Discuss Best Practices in Patent Law."]
John Council, senior reporter, Texas Lawyer, Dallas: OK. Judge Payne, I want to talk about joinder and multi-defendant cases. Are you making dispositive rulings in multi-defendant cases early in the litigation? And what the heck do you do if you have got a multi-defendant case that is pending in your court and a companion case is pending in another jurisdiction?
