Rambus Thrives Despite Its Many Ongoing Legal Issues; Four Cases Still Pending; Memory chip technology coveted by chipmakers because it's the fastest.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: JAMES DETAR

Memory chip designer Rambus Inc. is fighting four separate legal battles at once. It's won a few rounds in courts and lost a few. But through it all, it's stayed profitable. And its stock has soared. The company's position is tenuous, though. Analysts say if the tech slump lingers, earnings growth could slow this year. And one negative court ruling could turn its stock sour. For today at least, Rambus is surviving -- thriving even -- thanks to strong sales of its speedy memory chip designs.

"Rambus is still the fastest memory technology," said analyst Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research Inc. in San Jose, Calif. And speed is a big selling point in most popular electronic devices.

Over the past nine months, Rambus stock has risen more than 300%. After trading near 3 in mid-2002, shares now go for around 13.

The stock …