You are not in the wilderness here. But we have no idea if he is consulted as part of a grand coordinated litigation strategy, or if he is literally a hired gun for the appeal, with Sipes/Covington/Kennedy calling the shots on all other matters.
These are big lawyers, with more patent litigation experience in a day, then I will accumulated in a lifetime, but the concept of venue selection and steering clear of a known hostile judge, is lawyering 101, that transcends any specific specialty other than complex litigation, which is my wheelhouse.
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