FACULTY
Thomas J. Hibarger, Stroz Friedberg / Washington, DC
Thomas Hibarger is the Managing Director in charge of Stroz Friedberg’s Washington, DC office, where he directs engagements involving cybercrime and data breach response, digital forensics, and electronic discovery. Additionally, drawing on his extensive experience as Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Mr. Hibarger leads investigations relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-bribery and corruption, due diligence, internal corporate fraud, employee misconduct, and theft of intellectual property. Prior to joining Stroz Friedberg, Mr. Hibarger served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC for nearly 25 years, most recently as Chief of the Criminal Division. As Criminal Chief, he oversaw all federal investigations and criminal cases brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC. Mr. Hibarger supervised approximately 80 AUSAs responsible for major cases of fraud and public corruption, cybercrimes, intellectual property prosecutions, RICO conspiracy investigations, national security matters, asset forfeitures, and money laundering. He provided strategic advice and legal guidance, while also briefing the U.S. Attorney and Department of Justice Officials on high-profile, sensitive matters. Before his term as Criminal Chief, Mr. Hibarger was a Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) prosecutor for three years. Mr. Hibarger investigated and prosecuted significant cases involving botnets, online identity theft, phishing, DDOS attacks, computer intrusions, webpage defacement, and copyright infringement. Mr. Hibarger is a member of the Georgetown University Law Center Cybersecurity Law Institute Advisory Board. He recently authored a chapter on incident response in the PLI treatise Cybersecurity: A Practical Guide to the Law of Cyber Risk, and he lectures frequently on cybersecurity.
MODERATOR AND PROGRAM CHAIR
John B. Farmer is a member of the Leading-Edge Law Group, PLC, an intellectual property (“IP”) boutique law firm in Richmond, Virginia. He recently completed a three-year term as chairman of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He writes a monthly IP and technology law column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He is listed in the top rank of Virginia IP attorneys by Chambers USA and listed for IP in Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Farmer is a past chair of the IP Section of the Virginia State Bar. He is a past president of the Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Law Association. He graduated from the University of Virginia and its law school. After graduation from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Donald S. Russell, Judge of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and for the Honorable James C. Cacheris, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.