Sectors
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John F. Korba

Of Counsel

John (Jack) Korba is Of Counsel with Foley & Lardner in the Washington, DC office, and is a member of the firm’s Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations practice group. Jack draws from years as a federal prosecutor to advise clients on a variety of civil and criminal matters. Jack’s experience includes investigations into cyber attacks and computer fraud, Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), export control offenses and economic sanctions evasions, wire fraud, violations of Anti-Money Laundering regulations, the Bank Secrecy Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act, and more. Jack’s experience working with a variety of federal agencies and private sector stakeholders on long-term and complex criminal investigations translates to practical guidance, minimizing business and reputational risks for clients in a variety of cases.

Prior to joining Foley, Jack served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the National Security Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia where he litigated numerous cases in federal district court. Through this role at the Department of Justice, Jack honed his investigative and trial skills by working on long-term criminal investigations involving federal racketeering charges, international money laundering, large scale cyber intrusions, export control violations, international terrorism and hostage takings, immigration-related offenses, and homicides. He has investigated and prosecuted high-profile cases under statutes including the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and has worked closely with federal agencies and private industry on matters involving national security and advanced technologies. Jack has years of experience on cases involving witness interviews and preparation, analysis of financial records, export and corporate compliance-related records, electronic discovery, the issuance of numerous subpoenas and other forms of legal process, motions briefings and arguments, and the presentation of wide-ranging forensic evidence. Jack also served for multiple years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Safety and Public Interest Divisions of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

Representative Experience

  • Investigated violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), smuggling allegations, and Submitting False or Misleading Export Information.*
  • Investigated multi-year export control violation scheme that involved the utilization of an array of front companies to funnel tens of thousands of dual-use U.S.-origin items, including electronics and components that could be utilized in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses, to sanctioned entities.*
  • Investigated worldwide cyber intrusions linked to an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group of actors associated with a nation-state. Intrusions resulted in persistent access to the networks of cleared defense contractors, law firms, municipalities, government agencies non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and technology companies, and caused millions of dollars in damage as far as remediation costs.*
  • Coordinated with public stakeholders, law enforcement, and private corporations regarding cyber incident response and mitigation measures following large-scale computer network exploitation activity.*
  • Worked with the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State to generate sanctions packages for approval based on Executive Orders blocking property of weapons of mass destruction proliferators and their supporters, and blocking the property of persons involved in serious human rights abuse or corruption.*
  • Worked with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to pursue civil enforcement remedies against companies suspected of misappropriating and exploiting advanced U.S. technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).*
  • Litigated a multi-year Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) case involving numerous members of a major transnational criminal organization.*

*Matters handled prior to joining Foley.

Awards and Recognition

  • Recipient, 2024 United States Attorney’s Office FBI Service Award
  • Recipient, 2023 Partners in Law Enforcement Award from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association – Standing Committee on Law and National Security – Member
  • American University Washington College of Law – Mock Trial Coach (2013-2020)

Community Involvement

  • Fair Chance
    • Associate Board Member

Presentations and Publications

  • Presenter to the Special Division for Investigating international Organized Crime and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism in the Dominican Republic (February 2023)
  • Presenter to the Transnational Anti-Gang Unit in El Salvador (November 2021)
Multiple national flags from different countries are displayed on flagpoles against a cloudy sky, reflecting the international reach of a corporate law office or lawyers in Chicago specializing in global litigation support.
May 26, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

The Democratic Republic of the Congo as a Near-Term Strategic Opportunity for U.S. Companies | Part 3

DRC opportunities frequently involve local partners, agents, subcontractors, logistics providers, security-adjacent vendors, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and intermediaries sitting between the company and operational reality on the ground. The most common failure mode is a mistaken assumption about who actually controls the counterparty and how business is conducted in practice.
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May 21, 2026 Foley Viewpoints

CFTC Division of Enforcement Issues New Cooperation Policy: What Commodities Market Participants Need to Know

The CFTC's Division of Enforcement recently issued a new Staff Advisory setting forth the Division's exclusive policy on self-reporting, cooperation, and remediation.
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April 28, 2026 Events

2026 Spring International Trade Webinar Blitz

This three-part webinar series is presented by Foley’s International Trade team to break down what has changed for companies that operate or source internationally, where risks are accelerating, and what companies should be doing now to understand and manage this evolving risk landscape.
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April 8, 2026 Foley Viewpoints

OFAC Sanctions Cartel-Linked Timeshare Resort in Mexico: What Hospitality and Travel Companies Should Know

On February 19, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a luxury timeshare resort near Puerto Vallarta connected to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion’s (CJNG).
Multiple national flags from different countries are displayed on flagpoles against a cloudy sky, reflecting the international reach of a corporate law office or lawyers in Chicago specializing in global litigation support.
April 7, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

The Democratic Republic of the Congo as a Near-Term Strategic Opportunity for U.S. Companies | Part 2

As opportunities mature, governance attention will focus on decision quality and defensibility. Directors, regulators, and investors focus on whether management understood and identified the relevant risks, evaluated them coherently, and exercised judgment consistent with compliance, disclosure, and investor expectations.
Multiple national flags from different countries are displayed on flagpoles against a cloudy sky, reflecting the international reach of a corporate law office or lawyers in Chicago specializing in global litigation support.
March 25, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

The Democratic Republic of the Congo as a Near-Term Strategic Opportunity for U.S. Companies | Part 1

The U.S. government has made a deliberate decision to bring American companies into the DRC's critical minerals sector. That decision comes with real support behind it: infrastructure financing, a bilateral strategic partnership, and policy continuity that has survived a change of administration. For companies that have defaulted to treating the DRC as too difficult to engage with seriously, that changed context is worth examining.