East Texas, Still in First Place, Saw Bulk of 2025’s High-Dollar Verdicts

The Eastern District of Texas was the top patent district for overall litigation (i.e., with no filter for plaintiff type) and NPE litigation in 2025, also holding the number three spot for operating company litigation. The year’s second most popular district for overall litigation was the District of Delaware, which was also in third place for NPE litigation but was the top district for operating company litigation. Meanwhile, the Western District of Texas followed Delaware in third place for overall litigation and was in second for NPE litigation, again falling short of the top five for operating company filings.

Given the volume of Eastern District of Texas patent litigation, it is perhaps not surprising that six of the ten largest patent damage awards issued by juries in 2025 were returned by East Texas juries. Those six trials produced damage awards ranging from $78.5M to $445.5M, covering technologies including cellular networking and mobile devices, display panels, smart home appliances, and targeted advertising.

As many of those verdicts came late in 2025, fewer enhancements (e.g., by tacking on interest) or reductions (e.g., by ruling in favor of a defendant on a posttrial motion) have yet materialized.

See here for RPX coverage of the year’s top damage awards.

Meanwhile, the top three rankings were nearly identical in each category for the fourth quarter, except with the Northern District of Illinois taking second place for operating company litigation instead of the District of New Jersey.

More on the other key trends that shaped patent litigation in 2025 can also be found in RPX’s fourth-quarter review.