W. Benjamin Woody
Partner | DC Metro »

W. Benjamin Woody
Partner | DC Metro »
Ben is a native of the Richmond area, advising clients of all types in a wide range of civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Ben practiced civil litigation in the Northern Virginia area and was an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Giles County, Virginia, where he prosecuted a wide range of felony and misdemeanor offenses. After law school at Elon, Ben earned his Master of Laws in Admiralty at Tulane University, where he was a member of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. Ben has published on numerous cutting-edge concerns in maritime law, and is a contributing author to the Recent Developments in Admiralty & Maritime Law article published in the American Bar Association’s Tort, Trial & Insurance Law Journal.
Ben is a Virginia Tech fan, but will shamelessly bandwagon whenever his Hokies are clearly out of contention. In his spare time, he enjoys complaining about politics, taking out his frustration on barbells, and trying to keep his pets off the dinner table.
Professional Honors & Activities
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
- Products Liability/Toxic Tort Section, Vice-Chair (2020 – 2022)
- Defense Research Institute
- Virginia State Bar
- American Bar Association
- Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice
- Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee
- Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice
- Virginia Business Legal Elite (2019 – 2022)
- Young Lawyer
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2022 – 2024)
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Virginia Super Lawyers – Rising Stars (2022 – 2023)
- Civil Litigation: Defense
Publications
- Internet of Things in Civil Litigation, Journal of Civil Litigation, 33 J. Civ. Litig. 15 (Spring 2021).
- Recent Developments in Admiralty and Maritime Law, ABA TIPS Law Journal, Vol. 55, No. 2 (Spring 2020).
- Sinking Uberrimae Fidei: How the Eighth Circuit’s Decision in St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Abhe & Svoboda Accidentally Sank the Doctrine before the Insurance Act of 2015 Could, TULANE MARITIME LAW JOURNAL, 40 Tul. Mar. L.J. 573 (Summer 2016).
- Get Back to Where You Once Belonged: Decisions on Personal Jurisdiction Should Precede Maritime Choice of Law Disputes to Prevent Unnecessary Invocation of Forum Non Conveniens, UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME LAW JOURNAL, 29 U.S.F. Mar. L.J. 71 (2017).
- There Be No Shelter Here: Why Misreading Sinochem International Shipping Co. v. Malaysian Shipping Co. Renders Decisional Sequencing Necessary, TULANE MARITIME LAW JOURNAL, 41 TUL. MAR. L.J. 317 (Winter 2017).
- Contributing Author, Recent Developments in Admiralty and Maritime Law | ABA TORT TRIAL & INSURANCE LAW JOURNAL (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 forthcoming).
Reported Cases
- Bowman v. Top Gun of Virginia, 2021 WL 5827776 (D. Md. Dec. 8, 2021).
Representative Experience
- Successfully defended auto dealership in personal injury matter involving a slip and fall.
- Successfully defended utility company in property damage action involving a windstorm.
- Successfully defended bus company and bus driver in a traumatic brain injury suit.
- Successfully defended bus charterer in personal injury suit.
- Successfully defended large retail chain in slip-and-fall suit.
- Successfully defended professional individual against defamation suit.
- Successfully defended insurance companies in coverage disputes involving the scope of underinsured motorists coverage.
Presentations
- Defending Non-Auto Cases: Boats & Personal Watercraft, VADA Spring Seminar (May 7, 2021).
- The Lauritzen-Rhoditis Lie: Saving Jones Act Claims from an Atrophied Choice of Law Analysis | ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Committee’s Presentation of TULANE MARITIME LAW JOURNAL, Jones Walker, New Orleans, LA (October 27, 2016).
- Insurance Act 2015 and Uberrimae Fidei: The Sinking of a Harsh, Anachronistic Doctrine | International Graduate Legal Research Conference, King’s College, London, England (April 4, 2016).
- Sinking the Duty of Uberrimae Fidei before the Insurance Act of 2015 Could | ABA Maritime Law Committee’s Presentation of TULANE MARITIME LAW JOURNAL, Liskow & Lewis, New Orleans, LA (March 17, 2016).
Education
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B. A., 2011
- Elon University School of Law, J.D., 2014
- Tulane University Law School, LL.M., Admiralty, 2016
Bar & Court Admissions
- North Carolina, 2014
- Virginia State Bar, 2016
- District of Columbia Bar, 2019
- Maryland State Bar, 2020
- U. S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- Middle District of North Carolina
- U. S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia