To start, it claimed the trade secret issues had already been "settled" in a civil lawsuit where a Seattle jury rejected allegations of "willful and malicious conduct" and denied penalties on the trade secret claim. The firm also said it tried to discuss an Eastern District of New York investigation with the Justice Department, but that officials had tossed out the demand "without explanation."

It's not surprising that Huawei would dispute the charges, which center around allegations of swiping T-Mobile technology and trying to bypass sanctions against Iran. The stakes are high -- the company saw how an export ban hobbled ZTE and forced the company to make substantial compromises to earn a reprieve. Huawei isn't as dependent on US exports (its phones use custom-designed chips, for example), but it knows that a loss in court could still have severe consequences.