Of Counsel
Virginia Whitner Hoptman (Of Counsel) is an exceptional trial and appellate lawyer who has practiced in the Washington, D.C. area for many years. She has handled numerous appeals in the District of Columbia, Third, Fourth, District of Columbia and Federal Circuits, as well as the Virginia Supreme Court.
Virginia's practice focuses on claims of trade secret and other intellectual property misappropriation, patent infringement, breach of non-compete and nondisclosure agreements, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of federal banking statutes and regulations, and breach of commercial and construction contracts. She represents clients in a wide-range of industries, including software technology, telecom, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, consumer finance, and higher education.
She is a highly qualified mediator who serves as a mediator for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also represents clients in mediation proceedings.
She began her legal career as a law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Chief Judge Collins J. Seitz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was a professor at the George Washington School of Law where she taught constitutional law and U.S. Supreme Court practice. As a result of these experiences, Virginia has substantial expertise on issues of federal preemption, constitutional law, and appellate and Supreme Court practice.
Virginia was recognized by the Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2013. In addition, Washington Smart CEO magazine named her as one of 35 lawyers among the “Greater Washington Legal Elite.” As a member of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Advisory Committee of the National Chamber Litigation Center, she has supported companies in high-profile cases at the U.S. Supreme Court and federal and state courts nationwide.
EDUCATION
- University of Virginia, Juris Doctor
- Research & Projects Editor, Virginia Law Review
- Order of the Coif
- Raven Society
- Michie Award
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bachelor of Science
- Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma Honorary Societies
- Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award
RECOGNIZED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION
- Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2013
- Named as 1 of 35 lawyers among the “Greater Washington Legal Elite” by Washington Smart CEO magazine
BAR MEMBERSHIPS
- 1983 District of Columbia
- 2003 Virginia
- 2007 Maryland
FEDERAL COURT ADMISSIONS
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, Eleventh, District of Columbia, and federal Circuits
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Columbia
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS
- Law Clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Law Clerk to Chief Judge Collins J. Seitz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
LAW PROFESSOR
- Associate Professor of Law, The George Washington School of Law (1985-1991)
TRIAL AND APPELLATE PRACTICE
- Partner, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP (2003-2014)
- Caplin & Drysdale (1982-1985)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Mediator, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
