SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a $12 million “exceptional case” attorney fee award in a San Diego patent case involving GPS technology.

Tuesday’s ruling in Gabriel Technologies v. Qualcomm is a win for Cooley, which has been litigating the case for Qualcomm Inc. since 2008. How much it can recover is unclear, as Gabriel Technologies Corp. has filed for bankruptcy protection and its trial counsel, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, has already settled out.