Born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Gibney received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The College of William & Mary in 1973 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1976.
From 1976 until 1978, Gibney served as a law clerk for Justice Harry L. Carrico of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
From 2003 until his confirmation as a federal judge, he served as a partner and a civil litigator in the Richmond law firm Thompson McMullan.
[3] On April 14, 2010, President Obama nominated Gibney to the seat that had been created by the retirement of Judge Robert E. Payne, who assumed senior status in May 2007.
[4] The United States Senate confirmed Gibney's nomination on December 16, 2010 by a voice vote, during the lame duck session of the 111th Congress.