BOSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke secured a ruling from an administrative law judge (ALJ) at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in favor of Shoals Technologies Group (Shoals), a leading provider of electrical balance-of-systems (EBOS) solutions.
The ALJ determined that Voltage and Ningbo Voltage Smart Production Co. violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which prohibits the importation of products that infringe U.S. intellectual property rights, by importing photovoltaic “trunk bus” cable assemblies and related components into the U.S. that infringe two Shoals patents. The Troutman team additionally secured no institution of Inter Partes Review petitions against the same two Shoals patents the ALJ found Voltage to infringe.
This ruling protects Shoals’ award‑winning “Big Lead Assembly” solutions, which have transformed EBOS for utility‑scale solar by enabling faster, safer, more reliable, and more cost‑effective installations. For more information, see the coverage in Law360.
The Troutman Pepper Locke team representing Shoals was led by Bill Belanger, Kim Coghill, Puja Patel Lea, Frank Liu, Dustin Ferzacca, Brittany Reeves, Gillian Schutt, Ryan Deck, and Mikaella Evaristo.
Troutman Pepper Locke’s Intellectual Property Practice develops and implements global protection and commercialization strategies for clients with intellectual property assets in virtually all industry areas. The firm’s forward-thinking, proactive strategies help clients mitigate risk while maximizing protection and value. With resources around the world, including an office in London, its team of attorneys, patent agents, and other professionals offer comprehensive advice on the development, acquisition, management, and monetization of intellectual property.
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