Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Jan 8, 2019
The Curators of the University of Missouri vs. Galen J. Suppes
Galen Suppes, an associate professor, appealed a judgment finding him liable to the University of Missouri for breach of contract and breach of loyalty related to patent ownership. The jury awarded the University $300,000 on each claim, and the trial court also ordered Suppes to assign certain inventions to the University. The appellate court affirmed the judgment, clarifying that two specific patents were to be excluded from the assignment, and denied Suppes's other points of error regarding costs, jury instructions, and damages.