Broadcom awarded legal costs in suit

Broadcom Corp. was awarded $9.26 million in legal costs and interest in a patent dispute with competing chip maker Qualcomm Inc. after a federal court had ruled that Qualcomm improperly concealed documents.

U.S. District Judge Rudi Brewster, in an order filed Tuesday in San Diego, ordered Qualcomm to pay Broadcom’s attorney fees, litigation expenses, expert witness fees and prejudgment interest.

Qualcomm in January lost a jury trial over claims that Irvine-based Broadcom had infringed its patents to compress digital video. Brewster ruled in August that Qualcomm had failed to turn over thousands of documents and should pay Broadcom’s legal costs.

The order “was expected and not something that Qualcomm had opposed,” said Emily Gin Kilpatrick, a spokeswoman for San Diego-based Qualcomm.

Shares of Broadcom rose 19 cents to $28.46, while Qualcomm gained 83 cents to $41.01.