China Firm Funds US Suits Amid Push to Disclose Foreign Ties (2)

A Chinese firm is financing four intellectual property lawsuits in US courts as Congress members scrutinize the role of foreign investment in American litigation and seek to ban the practice in some instances.

Purplevine IP, a Shenzhen, China-based company that touts itself as a provider of one-stop patent solutions, is paying the cost of the lawsuits against Samsung Electronics Co. and a subsidiary, said Daniel Staton, chairman of private equity firm Staton Capital. Boca Raton, Fla.-based Staton Capital is the majority owner of a tech firm, Staton Techiya, bringing the four suits.

The cases, tied to earbud, tablet and smartphone ...