Ford F. Farabow, Jr., JD '63, passed away September 12, 2016 at the age of 78. He and others at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garret Dunner, LLP left behind a permanent legacy at GW Law through the Marcus B. Finnegan Memorial Competition, which offers a prize for the best essays in any area of intellectual property. Since 1982, 58 law students have been winners of the prize and have become strong litigants in the Intellectual Property field.
The GW Law graduate joined his DC-based firm as a founding partner in 1965. Exclusively focusing on Intellectual Property, he was well known as a trial lawyer for his federal district and state court litigation practice. At the appellate level, he won numerous cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and other circuits. Mr. Farabow was also a leader in developing the practice of domestic and foreign arbitration, and other alternative dispute resolution processes. In 2005, he became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.
Mr. Farabow retired in 2014 after decades in the legal arena. Friends and colleagues remember him for his affectionate personality, humbled spirit, and for being a pioneer in the IP community.