Amid continued efforts between the Department of Justice and Chinese technology giant Huawei to settle their ongoing legal battle, both efforts appear to have run into difficulty, leading to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters of an imminent trial set for January 2026.
Settlement Talks Stalled
At an ongoing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan LaMarca informed U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly about stalled settlement discussions; consequently, Judge Donnelly suggested commencing trial at the beginning of January 2026 as a result.
Trial Expectations
Prosecuters anticipate that due to its complex nature, Huawei, represented by Douglas Axel, will agree with Prosecutors' proposed timeline leading up to trial.
This legal dispute began with a sealed indictment filed in 2018, where Huawei faced allegations including deceiving banks regarding business transactions in Iran as well as conspiring to take trade secrets from competitors.
An important event was Huawei CFO Sabrina Meng's arrest by U.S. authorities in Canada in December 2018 following their request; four years later she was freed as part of an agreement reached between these and U.S. authorities that led to charges being dismissed against her and was set free in September 2021.
