The drug at issue, Yasmin, not only prevents pregnancy but also offers the desirable side effect of reducing bloating. But a federal district court ruled that Bayer's patented technique for increasing the absorption of a key ingredient was obvious, given the prior art.

Latham & Watkins can proceed as lead trial counsel for a defendant in a massive antitrust class action, a Washington federal district trial judge ruled on Tuesday, denying a motion to disqualify the firm.

After six years of litigation, the online retailer Newegg Inc. and its appellate lawyers at Weil, Gotshal & Manges have delivered a major blow to Soverain Software LLC, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars asserting patents related to e-commerce.