BOSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke secured a landmark victory on behalf of Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. (Shoals), a leading provider of electrical balance-of-systems (EBOS) solutions, following a multiyear, multiforum litigation effort spanning the International Trade Commission (ITC), Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and federal courts. For more information, see the press release.
Shoals’ flagship Big Lead Assembly solution, a patented EBOS technology manufactured in Tennessee and deployed in solar projects across the country, became the center of a high-stakes patent dispute when Shoals alleged that Voltage, LLC, and its related foreign entities infringed multiple patents covering the technology. Troutman Pepper Locke stepped in as new counsel after an earlier attempt to obtain relief from the ITC was unsuccessful. What followed was a sustained, multi-front litigation effort spanning the ITC, PTAB, and federal courts.
In the ITC, the firm secured an initial determination, establishing that Voltage had violated Shoals’ patent rights. In June 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina denied Voltage’s attempt to have Shoals’ patents declared unenforceable, rejecting arguments of inequitable conduct and unclean hands, a critical win that kept the case on track for trial. Combined with the earlier ITC initial determination and the denial of multiple inter partes review petitions challenging the validity of the asserted patents, the firm preserved the foundation of Shoals’ case ahead of trial.
On Aug. 26, 2026, following a jury trial in the Middle District of North Carolina, the jury returned a $96,382,050 verdict against Voltage, the full amount Shoals requested, including a finding of willful infringement. The court also granted an injunction. The result represents the culmination of a sustained, multifront litigation strategy and cross-practice collaboration drawing on the firm’s Intellectual Property, Regulatory Investigations, Strategy, and Enforcement, and White Collar Litigation and Investigations Practice Groups.
The Troutman Pepper Locke cross-practice team representing Shoals was led by Bill Belanger, Kim Coghill, Lawrence Cameron, Erin Harrigan, Frank Liu, Ryan Deck, Dustin Ferzacca, Gillian Schutt, and Jacob Alstadt.
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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