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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`WACO DIVISION
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`MYPAQ HOLDINGS LTD.,
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`Plaintiff,
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`v.
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`DELL TECHNOLOGIES INC. and DELL
`INC.,
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`Defendant.
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`NO. 6:21-cv-00933-ADA
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`§
`§
`§
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`§
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`DEFENDANTS’ OPPOSED MOTION TO STAY PENDING RESOLUTION OF
`DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR INTRA-DISTRICT TRANSFER OF VENUE
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`Defendants Dell Technologies Inc. and Dell Inc. (collectively, “Dell”) respectfully request
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`that this case be stayed pending the resolution of Dell’s Motion for Intra-District Transfer (Dkt.
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`36) to the Austin Division. In response to Dell’s Motion, Plaintiff MyPAQ Holdings Ltd.
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`(“MyPAQ”) gave notice that it “inten[ds] to proceed with venue discovery, which will be
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`completed no later than May 3, 2022,” and “it will file its response brief within two weeks of
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`completing venue discovery[.]” Dkt. 41 at 1. Accordingly, MyPAQ would not file its opposition
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`to Dell’s Motion to Transfer until May 17—two weeks after the scheduled Markman hearing in
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`this case. Dkt. 20 at 4. Because this case should not proceed to a Markman hearing or any other
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`substantive phase until after Dell’s Motion to Transfer is resolved, it is appropriate to stay the non-
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`venue aspects of this case now.
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`It is well-established that motions to transfer should be given “top priority.” In re TracFone
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`Wireless, Inc., 848 F. App’x 899, 900 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (nonprecedential) (quoting In re Horseshoe
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`Ent., 337 F.3d 429, 433 (5th Cir. 2003)); see also In re Apple Inc., 979 F.3d 1332, 1337 (Fed. Cir.
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`2020) (“once a party files a transfer motion, disposing of that motion should unquestionably take
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`top priority”); In re Google Inc., No. 2015–138, 2015 WL 5294800, at *1–2 (Fed. Cir. July 16,
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`2015) (nonprecedential) (directing the district court to promptly resolve transfer motion); In re
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 1
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 2 of 7
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`Nintendo Co., Ltd., 544 F. App’x 934, 941 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (nonprecedential) (“[A] trial court
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`must first address whether it is proper and convenient venue before addressing any substantive
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`portion of the case.”). Following that principle, this case should not proceed further before Dell’s
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`Motion to Transfer is resolved.
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`Equity also favors granting a stay. Most importantly: the need for a stay comes from
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`MyPAQ’s decision to seek three months of venue discovery, thereby delaying resolution of Dell’s
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`Motion to Transfer. See Dkt. 41 at 1. MyPAQ also does not sell any products or services and does
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`not compete against Dell, so any prejudice to MyPAQ from a short stay would be negligible at
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`best. Weighed against this negligible prejudice, in the event this case is ultimately transferred to
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`another judge in the Austin division, staying this case now before claim construction would
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`provide that judge with an opportunity to make the claim construction ruling in this case. Dell, for
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`its part, takes no position on the manner in which cases are assigned to judges in the Western
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`District of Texas. However, Dell is aware that several cases that were previously transferred from
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`the Waco Division to the Austin Division were reassigned to other judges including Hon. Lee
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`Yeakel, Hon. Robert Pitman, and Hon. David Ezra. See, e.g., Neo Wireless LLC v. Dell Techs.
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`Inc., No. 1:22-cv-00060-DAE (W.D. Tex.). If this case will likewise be reassigned upon transfer
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`to the Austin Division, it would be most efficient for the judge who ultimately will preside over
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`the case to also handle the claim construction process. Claim construction is one of the most
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`significant events in a patent case, and it would be appropriate for the judge that is assigned to
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`preside over the trial of the case to also make the necessary claim construction rulings in the case.
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`I.
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`BACKGROUND
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`MyPAQ filed this lawsuit in September 2021. Dkt. 1. On December 6, 2021, MyPAQ
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`filed an Amended Complaint. Dkt. 22. Less than two months later, on February 3, 2022, Dell
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`filed a Motion for Intra-District Transfer. Dkt. 36. MyPAQ served venue discovery requests on
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`February 16, 2022; the same day it provided notice to the Court that it would take venue discovery,
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`“which will be completed no later than May 3, 2022.” Dkt. 41 at 1. Under the existing schedule
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`for this case, Dell’s Opening Claim Construction Brief is due March 2, 2022, and claim
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`2
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 2
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 3 of 7
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`construction briefing is expected to continue through April 20, 2022. Dkt. 20 at 3. A Markman
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`hearing is scheduled for May 4, 2022. Id. at 4. Fact discovery and other substantive deadlines
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`follow shortly after the Markman hearing. Id.
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`II.
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`ARGUMENT
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`A.
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`The Transfer Motion Should be Resolved Before the Case Proceeds
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`“[D]istrict courts must give promptly filed transfer motions top priority before resolving
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`the substantive issues in the case.” TracFone Wireless, 848 F. App’x at 900. Failing to prioritize
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`such motions can “frustrate 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a)’s intent to ‘prevent the waste of time, energy, and
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`money and to protect litigants, witnesses and the public against unnecessary inconvenience and
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`expense.’” Google, 2015 WL 5294800 at *1 (quoting Van Dusen v. Barrack, 376 U.S. 612, 616
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`(1964)). Consistent with this precedent, this Court has a formal policy to resolve inter-district
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`transfer motions before conducting a claim construction hearing. Second Amended Standing
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`Order Regarding Motions for Inter-District Transfer dated August 18, 2021, at 1 (“The Court will
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`not conduct a Markman hearing until it has resolved the pending motion to transfer.”)
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`Dell respectfully submits that these considerations warrant a stay in this case while Dell’s
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`Motion for Transfer is resolved. For the reasons set forth in Dell’s Motion, the Austin Division—
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`where Dell’s headquarters are located and where its and relevant third-party witnesses reside—is
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`clearly a more convenient forum for this discovery and substantive litigation.1 But MyPAQ’s
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`pursuit of three months of venue discovery will delay any opportunity for Dell to have this case
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`moved to the Austin Division, potentially forcing Dell to continue litigating in a less-convenient
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`venue. MyPAQ should not be allowed to use extensive venue discovery to frustrate the purpose
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`of convenience analysis under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). Resolving the transfer motion now is also
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`important because this case may be assigned to a different judge following transfer.
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`1 Indeed, this Court has repeatedly recognized that cases between Dell and a plaintiff without any
`connection to Waco should be transferred to the Austin Division. See Neo Wireless, ECF No. 60,
`at 14; see also Datascape, Ltd. v. Dell Techs., Inc., No. 6:19-CV-00129-ADA, 2019 WL 4254069,
`at *2–3 (W.D. Tex. June 7, 2019). MyPAQ is a foreign company from the Seychelles with
`investors in Singapore; it also has no connections to Waco. See Dkt. 4.
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`3
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 3
`
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 4 of 7
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`It also makes no difference that Dell’s Motion is for intra-district transfer, as opposed to
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`inter-district transfer. The convenience analysis under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) applies equally to both
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`inter-district and intra-district motions. See In re Radmax, Ltd., 720 F.3d 285, 288 (5th Cir. 2013)
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`(“The § 1404(a) factors apply as much to transfers between divisions of the same district as to
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`transfers from one district to another.”). Thus—for the same reasons that this Court would not
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`conduct a Markman hearing while a motion to transfer to another district is pending—this case
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`should not proceed to substantive matters while Dell’s Motion to Transfer to the Austin Division
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`is pending. Indeed, this Court has previously granted analogous motions to stay pending intra-
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`district transfer in other cases. See, e.g., Express Mobile, Inc. v. Expedia, Inc., No. 6:20-cv-00801-
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`ADA, Text Order Granting ECF No. 38 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 2, 2021) (granting motion to stay pending
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`transfer to Austin division); Sonrai Memory Ltd. v. Oracle Corp., No. 6:21-CV-00116-ADA, Text
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`Order Granting ECF No. 44 (W.D. Tex. Jan. 2, 2022) (same).
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`B.
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`Equity Favors a Stay
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`A district court has inherent authority to stay its proceedings. B&D Produce Sales, LLC v.
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`Packman1, Inc., No. SA-16-CV-99-XR, 2016 WL 4435275, at *1 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 19, 2016).
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`Courts consider three factors in determining if a stay is proper: “(1) any potential prejudice to the
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`non-moving party; (2) the hardship and inequity to the moving party if the action is not stayed;
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`and (3) the judicial resources saved by avoiding duplicative litigation.” Id. The Federal Circuit
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`has recognized that a stay of proceedings on the merits is appropriate while a district court
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`considers and resolves a transfer motion. See In re SK hynix Inc., 835 F. App’x 600, 601 (Fed. Cir.
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`2021) (nonprecedential); see also Google, 2015 WL 5294800 at *1–2 (directing the district court
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`to stay all proceedings pending completion of the transfer motion).
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`MyPAQ would not be unfairly prejudiced by a stay. The main reason a stay is necessary
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`is because MyPAQ has given notice that it wants three months of venue discovery before filing its
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`opposition to Dell’s Motion to Transfer. Because MyPAQ is the cause of the delay, MyPAQ
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`cannot complain about the need for a stay while Dell’s Motion is pending. In addition, MyPAQ
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`does not offer any products or services, and it does not compete with Dell. In contrast, if a stay is
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`4
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 4
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 5 of 7
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`not granted, Dell would be required to continue litigating in a less-convenient forum for several
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`months while its transfer motion is pending—frustrating the very purpose of Dell’s Motion to
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`Transfer.
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`Counsel for MyPAQ also recently informed the Court by email that “foreign discovery is
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`already going to be difficult to complete under the current discovery deadline.” Ex. A (Feb. 22,
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`2022 email from Michael Shore). MyPAQ expressed this concern in connection with the Court’s
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`resolution of a dispute between the parties on the scope of early discovery. Dell suggests that a
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`stay could be crafted to allow progress on the ordered early discovery, in parallel with the venue
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`discovery that MyPAQ recently requested. Thus, rather than harming or prejudicing MyPAQ, a
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`brief stay of other deadlines now could ultimately facilitate MyPAQ’s efforts to pursue foreign
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`discovery.
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`Further, both parties could potentially be prejudiced if costly work, such as claim
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`construction, is litigated in this Court, and then later has to be repeated or amended following a
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`transfer. Judicial resources will also be saved by staying this action now. Because this case may
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`be transferred—and Dell respectfully submits that it should be transferred—there is no reason for
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`the Court to spend its judicial resources on the merits of this case now. This Court should not
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`burden itself with the merits of this action in the short term, including claim construction, when it
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`is uncertain whether another judge will ultimately be responsible for this case. See Apple, 979
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`F.3d at 1338 (“Indeed, a Markman hearing and claim construction order are two of the most
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`important and time-intensive substantive tasks a district court undertakes in a patent case.”).
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`III. CONCLUSION
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`For the foregoing reasons, Dell hereby requests that this case be stayed, except for the
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`resolution of Dell’s Motion to Transfer.
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`Statement Pursuant to Local Rule CV-7.G. Counsel for the parties have conferred in a
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`good-faith attempt to resolve the matter by agreement and no agreement could be made due to
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`disagreements about the subject matter of the motion.
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`5
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 5
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`
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 6 of 7
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`Dated: February 25, 2022
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`/s/ Paula D. Heyman
`Kevin J. Meek
`Texas State Bar No. 13899600
`Paula D. Heyman
`Texas State Bar No. 24027075
`Mark Speegle
`Texas State Bar No. 24117198
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`98 San Jacinto Blvd, Ste 1500
`Austin, TX 78701
`Telephone: (512) 322-2500
`Facsimile: (512) 322-2501
`Kevin.Meek@bakerbotts.com
`Paula.Heyman@bakerbotts.com
`Mark.Speegle@bakerbotts.com
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`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANTS DELL
`TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND DELL INC.
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`6
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 6
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`Case 6:21-cv-00933-ADA Document 43 Filed 02/25/22 Page 7 of 7
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`The undersigned hereby certifies that on February 25, 2022, a copy of the foregoing was
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`served electronically, via CM/ECF, on all counsel of record.
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`By: /s/ Paula D. Heyman
`Paula D. Heyman
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1020
`Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc. v. MYPAQ Holdings Ltd.
` IPR2022-00311, Page 7
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