About the Case

Gilbert P. Hyatt is one of the most notorious patent trolls in American legal history. For decades, Hyatt has used the patent system not to build products or create jobs, but as a litigation weapon — filing broad, sweeping patent claims and then suing technology companies to extract massive settlements. He has never built a product. His business model is the lawsuit itself.

Now in his 80s, Hyatt has turned that same litigation-as-weapon strategy toward a new target: political persecution. Rather than suing tech companies, he is using his patent troll fortune to fund a civil lawsuit against Michael Caputo — a prominent Trump ally and former senior official in the First Administration. The instrument of that persecution is Jack Korba, a former Department of Justice attorney who previously used federal prosecutorial power to pursue Caputo, and who has now been hired to continue that pursuit in private practice.

"Lawfare" is the weaponization of legal processes — courts, bar associations, and government agencies — as instruments of political warfare rather than legitimate dispute resolution. It is characterized by the use of legal mechanisms not to vindicate a genuine right, but to harass, financially exhaust, and professionally destroy a target. Hyatt's lawsuit fits that definition precisely: a wealthy political operative with a history of abusive litigation, hiring a former government prosecutor, to continue a campaign against the same man the government once targeted.

The lawsuit alleges fraud and breach of contract arising from a $100,000 consulting engagement. Caputo was engaged in January 2025 to facilitate meetings with Trump Administration officials in support of Hyatt's Pioneering AI Foundation. The complaint claims Caputo failed to deliver services and concealed conflicts of interest. Caputo disputes these allegations and views the lawsuit as a continuation of a politically motivated campaign.

A formal complaint has been filed with the DC Bar Association against Jack Korba — Hyatt's lead counsel and former DOJ attorney. The complaint alleges violations of the DC Rules of Professional Conduct, including abuse of process, conduct involving dishonesty or misrepresentation, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The complaint raises serious questions about whether Korba's transition from government prosecutor to private opposing counsel against the same individual constitutes an improper use of information, relationships, and leverage developed at public expense. The DC Bar's Office of Disciplinary Counsel is responsible for investigating the complaint. If sustained, Korba could face sanctions ranging from a reprimand to disbarment.