Michele R. Woodruff Lyons is an elite intellectual property trial attorney, legal strategist, and law professor who brings a rigorous, problem-solving approach to complex high-stakes litigation. With twenty years of diverse legal experience spanning the private sector and public service, she is recognized for her strategic mastery of patent infringement matters from pre-litigation investigation through trial, appeals, and settlement. At Alberti Lim & Tonkovich LLP, Michele focuses on complex patent litigation, managing and advising legal teams representing patent owners, inventors, and technology companies in enforcing their patented inventions against infringers. Michele advises clients on the valuation and diligence of patent portfolios. She has led successful negotiations for license and IP transfer transactions, agreements, and settlements.

Michele has built an impressive career litigating at the highest levels of the legal profession. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced as a patent litigation associate at top-tier global law firms, including Sidley Austin LLP and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. At Sidley Austin, she served as trial counsel in precedent-setting patent infringement investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, including a major victory for a leading international e-commerce company. Her extensive intellectual property expertise also encompasses district court trials, inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and negotiating complex IP transactional agreements and technology transfer licenses. Michele is licensed to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

In addition to her private sector accomplishments, Michele has a distinguished record of service with the Federal Government. She served as an Honors Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, where she handled a variety of civil matters and successfully led multiple appeals in the First and Ninth Circuits. She later returned to federal service as an Attorney-Adviser for the U.S. Department of State, advising on high-profile cases requiring meticulous attention to detail and previously holding a Top Secret Security Clearance. She also worked with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawai’i.

Michele also draws on her experience as Deputy County Counsel for the County of Monterey, where she served as lead trial attorney and advised numerous public entities, including cities, counties, school districts, and community colleges. In recognition of her exceptional dedication to public service, she was named a Harvard Law School Heyman Fellow.

Michele’s robust appellate and highly technical backgrounds form the cornerstone of her patent practice. After receiving her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School where she was an Article and Line Editor for the Journal of Law and Technology, Michele served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Sharon Prost, former Chief Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This invaluable clerkship provided her with deep analytical and legal writing expertise in patent law at the appellate level. Further, Michele graduated with High Honors and Distinction of Scholarship in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley, where she gained valuable experience as a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Space Sciences Laboratory.

Beyond her formidable litigation practice, Michele is a dedicated educator and active community leader. She currently serves as a Professor of Law at the Monterey College of Law, where she lectures on Business Law, Legal Writing, and Intellectual Property Law. Michele is an active volunteer and member with public school and youth organizations, national women’s service nonprofits, and lawyer associations. She served as the Legal and Policy Chair for the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, presenting and publishing her work as a legal advocate throughout the United States, which earned her the highest award in the organization for her service. Through her multifaceted career and personal life, Michele consistently demonstrates an exceptional ability to implement a vision, develop prevailing strategies, and foster strong relationships.