Case Explained: FRENCHPORTE IP LLC v. C.H.I. OVERHEAD DOORS, INC

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Filed: 2026-07-23 The Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment ordering Moarbes, LLP to pay fifty percent of a $46,438.60 sanctions award against it and its client, FrenchPorte IP LLC, for repeated failures to comply with court orders. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in apportioning liability between the law firm and its client. The key legal basis for this decision was the district court’s explicit statement that it had not considered an ex parte letter submitted by FrenchPorte’s CEO, combined with the record showing that the sanctions allocation relied solely on Moarbes’s own filings which detailed the firm’s failure to comply with orders despite having received funding. Because Moarbes conceded that its appeal failed if the court found no reliance on the letter, and the appellate court found no such reliance, the judgment stands. The practical consequence is that Moarbes remains liable for half of the sanctions award. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.