Woodward then worked for the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP for 10 years, from 2010 until mid-2020.[6][1] While there he led the Housing Law practice group of the firm's D.C. office.[1] His clients at Akin Gump included C.F. Folks, a longstanding downtown D.C. luncheonette.[7]
He co-founded a law firm, Brand Woodward, Attorneys at Law, in 2020.[4] Woodward's law partner, Stanley M. Brand, is also a former Akin Gump lawyer, and formerly general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives during the Tip O'Neill era.[6] Woodward represents individuals and companies in white-collar criminal cases,[9] as well as government and internal investigations and civil litigation.[4][9] He has also worked as defense counsel in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters.[9] Woodward previously served as a part-time lecturer and adjunct professor at his alma mater, Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.[5][4][10] He has taught pre-trial litigation and employment law courses there.[10]
In 2020, the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission recommended Woodward as one of three finalists to fill a vacancy on the D.C. Superior Court.[6][11] However, another finalist, Rupa Ranga Puttagunta, was appointed to fill the judicial seat.[11][12]
In 2023, Judge Aileen Cannon agreed to a US Justice Department request to hold a hearing to examine potential conflicts of interest of Woodward, who represents both Trump's co-defendant Walt Nauta as well as potential witnesses in the federal Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, and Trump’s offer to pay for the attorneys of those involved in his litigation.[13] At the hearing, Nauta waived his right to a conflict-free attorney, and Cannon allowed Woodward to continue representing him.[14]
Ryan Samsel, a Pennsylvania man — he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer during the January 6 attack (Samsel is incarcerated).[6][16][17]
Federico "Freddie" Klein, a Trump administration staffer in the State Department — he was convicted in July 2023 of violent participation in the January 6 attack (Klein was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison).[18][6][19][20][21]
Peter Navarro, a former Trump aide — he was found guilty of criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena issued by the January 6 committee (Navarro was sentenced to 4 months in jail).[6][25][26]
Yuscil Taveras, Trump's director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago (named as "Trump Employee 4" in the indictment in the prosecution of Trump on mishandling of documents). While represented by Woodward, Taveras testified to a federal grand jury that he was unable to recall any discussions about security-camera footage at Mar-a-Lago. Taveras subsequently dropped Woodward as his attorney and cooperated with prosecutors in the investigation (including giving a proffer session); Taveras acknowledged that his previous testimony had been false, and gave new testimony implicating Trump and Nauta.[34][35][36]
Personal
Woodward married Kristin McGough in 2012. She is also a lawyer.[37] As of 2012, they lived in Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood.[37]
