PALO ALTO, Calif., January 26, 2026—Duane Morris LLP has appointed Philip W. Woo as the new managing partner of its Silicon Valley office, effective January 1, 2026. Woo succeeds Brian L. Johnsrud, who has served as managing partner since 2023. Johnsrud assumed the role of chair of the firm’s Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group on January 1, 2026.
“We look forward to the assured growth and continuity of our Silicon Valley office under Phil, as well as our Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group, now the third largest in the firm, under Brian,” said Matthew A. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Duane Morris. “We thank and congratulate Brian for his outstanding leadership and profile-raising initiatives, while welcoming and congratulating Phil on his new role in seeing us into the next phase of our development for this key strategic market.”
Woo focuses his practice on patent law, with deep experience in litigation, prosecution and contested proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. With a degree in electrical engineering and substantial real-world experience in the high-tech industry, he has served as lead counsel for numerous matters, coordinating teams across separate, but related proceedings. Companies have entrusted Woo to handle the deep technical issues in intellectual property matters of commercial significance. Woo’s technical areas include all forms of electrical and electronic arts, including computer architecture, storage systems and networks, server networks and architecture, microprocessors, memories, software and internet applications, artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks, security, cryptography, telecommunications, wireless, interactive television and electronic program guides, satellites, business methods, semiconductor design and processing, semiconductor packaging, circuit design, electric and hybrid vehicles, autonomous vehicles and medical devices.
“I’m thrilled to build upon Brian’s leadership and innovative ideas to strengthen and expand our Silicon Valley office,” said Woo. “I look forward to continuing to provide our clients with top-notch service here in Silicon Valley and as we collaborate with our partners throughout Duane Morris’ expansive platform.”
Woo is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1994), where he was a member of the USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal, and Southern Methodist University (B.S., 1990).
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
