John W. Woods Jr.

JOHN WOODS is an acknowledged leader in handling investigations into cybersecurity incidents, national and economic security matters, and trade secret theft. He has served as the lead lawyer on many operationally impactful malware events, such as the NotPetya malware incident in 2017, and regularly investigates and advises organizations on the response to ransomware and data extortion demands. As a counselor, he is sought out for his strategic advice in managing the intersection of geopolitical and legal risk associated with transnational data flows and advising Department of Defense proxy companies on managing cybersecurity risk with their foreign parent.

John has been noted in a number of surveys of the best lawyers for cybersecurity globally and, in particular, recognized for his ability to translate complex technical issues into a legal framework. In a recent ranking, The Legal 500 noted a client’s comment that “John is the most innovative and solution-oriented lawyer I have ever worked with,” and a second client stated he “is exceptionally knowledgeable in his understanding of cybersecurity resilience practices and may be one of only a handful of individuals globally with direct experience assisting large complicated technical environments with deep legal complexity in the process of transition to hybrid and cloud architectures with identified function and service prioritizations.” John has been ranked in several areas by Chambers USA, most recently for Nationwide Privacy & Data Security: Cybersecurity (2024). He has also been recognized for his work in the cyber investigative areas in Washingtonian Magazine.

John serves on the faculty at the University of Virginia School of Law and was formerly on the Alumni Board.