A California federal jury heard closing arguments Wednesday in a high-profile antitrust case as Applied Medical accused Medtronic of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly in the advanced bipolar medical device market. Applied claims internal Medtronic documents show the company executed “war games” aimed at blocking Applied’s products and should pay damages of up to $381 million.
During the trial, Joseph Re of Knobbe Martens highlighted internal Medtronic emails and plans from 2015 indicating the company deliberately sought to prevent Applied’s advanced bipolar device, Voyant, from reaching customers. Re argued that instead of improving its own LigaSure device or lowering prices competitively, Medtronic focused on aggressive contracting and penalties for hospitals that used or tested Applied’s products.
“One document alone lays out a plan called the ‘U.S. and Western Europe War Game,’ detailing strategies to protect Medtronic’s monopoly rather than innovate,” Re said. “We saw multiple emails emphasizing contracts, penalties, and bundling, not product improvements or price adjustments.”
Applied’s attorney also pointed to a 2019 email in which a Medtronic executive described creating the “ultimate gorilla” of a product portfolio, likening it to Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon dominance two decades earlier. Re argued that the company took pride in using market power to block competition rather than compete fairly.
Medtronic contends its LigaSure device is preferred by hospitals and surgeons and maintains that its practices comply with the law. The company also argued that bundling provides value to hospitals, though Re said penalties for using competing devices like Voyant show otherwise. Evidence from Europe and South Korea—where bundling is restricted—showed Voyant successfully entered markets without obstacles, supporting Applied’s claims.
Expert testimony presented at trial estimated Applied’s lost U.S. sales at $275 million to $381 million due to Medtronic’s practices. Re criticized Medtronic for failing to provide its own damage analysis during the case.
The trial began on Jan. 20, 2026, with jury deliberations expected to start Thursday following closing arguments. Applied Medical filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging that Medtronic’s use of long-term group purchasing agreements and product bundling unlawfully restricted competition and maintained its monopoly in the advanced bipolar device sector.
Applied Medical is represented by Knobbe Martens attorneys Joseph Re, Stephen Jensen, Stephen Larson, Cheryl Burgess, Joseph Jennings, Ben Shiroma, Kendall Loebbaka, Nicholas Zovko, Justin Gillett, and Adam Powell. Medtronic is represented by Brian Stekloff, Sarah Neuman, Keri Arnold of Wilkinson Stekloff, and Leah Brannon, Alan Freedman, Carl Malm, Rathna Ramamurthi, and Julia Beggs of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
The case, Applied Medical Resources Corp. v. Medtronic Inc., is filed under case number 8:23-cv-00268 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
