Item 8.01 Other Events

C. R. Bard, Inc. today announced that the U.S. District Court in Arizona ruled on certain motions in Bard's patent infringement suit against W.L. Gore & Associates. In December 2007, a jury awarded Bard approximately $185 million and found that Gore willfully infringed Bard's patent number 6,436,135 by selling certain ePTFE vascular grafts and stent-grafts. United States patent law provides discretion to courts to increase damages in cases of willful infringement and on March 31, 2009, the Court doubled the jury award to approximately $371 million for damages through June 2007. The Court is still assessing damages for Gore's infringing sales from July 2007 to the present date and is also expected to set a royalty rate for future infringing sales. The Court also awarded Bard attorneys' fees of $19 million and prejudgment interest of approximately $20 million. In addition, the court denied Gore's remaining motions, including its motions for a new trial and to set aside the jury's verdict. After a final judgment is entered, Gore may appeal this matter to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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