About Us


We are three attorneys with a combined
70 years of experience helping our
clients manage their intellectual property.



We are scientists and engineers with
specialized technical training in
mechanical engineering, biotechnology,
electrical engineering, and pharmacology.



We are admitted to practice before the
USPTO, the Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit, and US District Courts in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. We have experience in US
district court litigation, Federal Circuit
appeals, and licensing negotiations.









our Clients

come from a wide range of industries and company sizes

large multinational corporations



major research universities



mid-sized companies with mature patent portfolios



startups who need help building their portfolios, and solo inventors








our team

Our team will provide you with the benefit of extensive expertise representing clients like you.
You will receive more attention from us than you could reasonably hope to receive from a large law firm.
We will not pass your work off to an inexperienced associate.
Our billable rates are comparable to those that big firms charge for new attorneys.

Shelly Guest Cermak

scermak@cnmiplaw.com
direct: 703.405.1551

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member-2
member-4

Tomoko Nakajima

tnakajima@cnmiplaw.com
direct: 703.717.9350

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Malcolm K. McGowan

mmcgowan@cnmiplaw.com
direct: 202.257.7471

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member-3
member-5

Christopher C. Goode

General Phone: 703.717.9350

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GENERAL DISCLAIMER



Cermak Nakajima & McGowan, LLP provides the information on these pages as a public service. Information contained in these pages is not intended as, and should not be taken as, legal advice. The use of the information provided in these pages should not be taken as establishing any contractual or other form of attorney-client relationship between Cermak Nakajima & McGowan and the reader or user of this information.

Case Studies Disclaimer:
This web site contains references to, and descriptions of, matters and legal decisions. In some instances, case studies of matters and legal decisions are provided. This information is provided as a public service. Case studies or descriptions of matters and legal decisions are not intended as, and should not be taken as, legal advice. Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

Blogs, Social Media, Video and all Multimedia Disclaimer:
Blogs, videos, social media content and all other multimedia content is intended to provide general information about significant legal developments and should not be construed as legal advice regarding any specific facts and circumstances, nor should they be construed as advertisements for legal services.

The best way for you to initiate a possible representation is to click on the Contact Us area in the top navigation of the web site or email us and we will explain the steps that must be followed and will put you in touch with one of our lawyers. If and when you receive an engagement letter from us, you will be our client, and we may then exchange information.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this website (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this website (or in any attachment).

contact us

While we would like to hear from you, please understand that merely contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. We cannot become your lawyers or represent you in any way unless (1) we know that doing so would not create a conflict of interest with any of the clients we represent, and (2) satisfactory arrangements have been made with us for representation. Accordingly, please do not send us any information about any matter that may involve you unless we have agreed that we will be your lawyers and represent your interests and you have received a letter from us to that effect (called an "engagement letter").

contact information

  • Address: 2000 Duke Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
  • Phone: 703.474.5810
  • Fax: 703.546.0100