Washington, DC, March 13, 2025…Cherian LLP has announced that two of its attorneys have been promoted. Michael Woods, currently Counsel, was promoted to Partner and Elizabeth O’Brien, currently Associate, was promoted to Counsel.

 

Michael Woods focuses his practice on enforcing and defending Intellectual Property rights in Federal District Court, inter partes reviews, and in appeals before the Federal Circuit. Mr. Woods has represented clients in litigation involving a variety of technologies, including matters related to computer software, internet technologies, telecommunication devices, cooling systems, inflatable products, and medical devices.

 

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Woods retired after twenty years as a U. S. Navy nuclear submarine officer. His service included tours on several nuclear submarines on both coasts, as the officer in charge of a land-based nuclear reactor training facility, and several tours at the Pentagon on the Naval staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. As a submarine officer, he was certified as a Nuclear Engineer Officer by the Department of Energy and worked closely with a wide variety of electronic, electrical, and mechanical systems.

 

At the Pentagon, Mr. Woods participated in lengthy negotiations on several nuclear arms control treaties with diplomats from the former Soviet Union. In addition, he was responsible for reviewing all Department of Defense advanced technology programs for compliance with arms control treaties.

Mr. Woods has also successfully represented, pro bono, several veterans and active-duty military personnel in obtaining military benefits.

 

Elizabeth O’Brien focuses her practice primarily on patent litigation, both in federal court and before the USPTO. Her litigation practice involves strategic consideration of concurrent proceedings in different forums and the management of post-grant matters at the USPTO.

 

Ms. O’Brien has experience in a variety of Intellectual Property matters, including patent prosecution, patent transactions, and patent litigation. She has counseled technology companies, ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500s, and helped those clients protect, monetize, and enforce their patent rights. From these experiences, Ms. O’Brien understands the needs of client-companies and the constraints that affect business decisions.

Ms. O’Brien received her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering, with a concentration in Material Science.