Joshua Fairfield is an internationally recognised legal scholar, technology law expert and Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he also serves as Director of W&L’s AI Legal Innovation Strategy. His work spans digital property, electronic contracts, big data privacy, virtual communities, and the legal frameworks that govern emerging technologies such as cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and blockchain. He serves as an expert witness in litigation and arbitration involving these technologies.

Professor Fairfield is the author of two books on the intersection of law and technology, including Runaway Technology: Can the Law Keep Up? He is at work on his third. His research and commentary appear in leading law and law/tech journals, and his policy writing has been published in mainstream media including The New York Times, Forbes and the Financial Times.

Before entering academia, Professor Fairfield was a technology entrepreneur, serving as Director of Research and Development for language-learning software company Rosetta Stone. He has consulted for U.S. government agencies including the White House Office of Technology and the Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office, advising on national security, privacy, and online safety. From 2009 to 2012, he provided privacy and civil liberties oversight for Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) programmes in virtual worlds. In 2012–13, he was awarded a Fulbright Grant to study transatlantic privacy law at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, Germany. In 2013, he was elected to the American Law Institute.

Professor Fairfield has taught, lectured, and collaborated with universities, think-tanks, and institutions around the world, working in cities including Paris, Munich, London, Melbourne, and Wellington. He speaks fluent French and German, and continues to bridge the worlds of law, technology, and global policy.

To book Joshua for speaking events, expert witness trial work or as legal counsel, get in touch below.