A team from Knobbe Martens obtained a decisive win for medical device manufacturer Applied Medical against Medtronic, Inc. in an antitrust case involving anticompetitive bundling and exclusive dealing that Applied alleged penalized hospitals for adopting competitive technologies.

Applied Medical alleged that Medtronic monopolized the market for advanced bipolar devices, which are surgical devices that seal blood vessels during surgery. Following a nearly three-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, a jury returned a verdict awarding more than $381 million in damages to Applied Medical, finding that Medtronic violated the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the California Cartwright Act. 

Commenting on the verdict, Knobbe Martens partner Stephen Jensen said, "Representing Applied Medical for more than two decades has been an honor, and this verdict sends a strong message: healthcare providers deserve a truly competitive market for lifesaving medical technologies free from exclusionary contractual barriers."

The Knobbe Martens team was led by Stephen Jensen, Stephen Larson, Joseph Re, Adam Powell, Kendall Loebakka, and Cheryl Burgess. The team also included Joe Jennings, Nick Zovko, Ben Shiroma, Nefi Oliva, Adam Copeland, and Isabella Pestana.

This is the latest success for Knobbe Martens' industry-recognized litigation practice that has delivered more than $1 billion in awards to clients in high-profile cases in recent months. This includes a $634 million win in a patent infringement case against Apple in November 2025.