People: Valerie J. Hoffman, Partner

Valerie J. Hoffman

Partner

Chicago
Direct: (312) 460-5870
Fax: (312) 460-7870
Los Angeles - Century City
Direct: (310) 277-5288
Fax: (310) 201-5219
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Biography

Ms. Hoffman is a partner in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of Seyfarth Shaw LLP where, since 1978, she has practiced labor and employment law.  As counsel to management, Ms. Hoffman advises employers of all varieties and sizes, including Fortune 100 manufacturing, technology, hospitality, and financial services companies.  Ms. Hoffman’s practice encompasses strategies to prevent and resolve employment discrimination litigation, including pay equity and glass ceiling issues; OFCCP defense and affirmative action compliance, and advice about legally defensible diversity practices.  She serves as Chair of the OFCCP Compliance, Affirmative Action & Diversity Consulting Practice Group within the Firm’s Labor & Employment Department.

Ms. Hoffman has extensive nation-wide experience defending clients in OFCCP audits of every type, every level of difficulty and in every OFCCP Region.  Her work with clients encompasses the development of defensive strategies as well as consulting to improve client performance in these critical audits.  Ms. Hoffman is a nationally recognized thought leader in the effective defense of significant OFCCP affected class allegations; in defending and resolving glass ceiling issues; in assessing, addressing and defending pay equity issues; and in using affirmative action plan results to map trends and spot issues for prevention of litigation.  She has a deep understanding of applicant definition, tracking and screening issues, has extensive knowledge of tools and technologies used to assist employers in these activities and has successfully defended many employers challenged by class-wide or individual discrimination allegations related to their applicant screening and hiring practices.

In 1998 Ms. Hoffman founded the Firm’s OFCCP Compliance, Affirmative Action & Diversity Team, a group of more than two dozen attorneys and non-attorney professionals who specialize in high quality counsel and support for OFCCP matters.  Under Ms. Hoffman’s leadership, the team represents hundreds of clients of all sizes and industries in matters involving OFCCP proceedings, including audits, enforcement actions, and other litigation.  The team has developed and assisted in the implementation of thousands of affirmative action programs, including large-scale fully outsourced AAP development and administration projects.

Ms. Hoffman also provides counsel and advice on diversity best practices, metrics, progress, metrics, progress management and change management.  Because of her nationwide practice, she has a broad knowledge of practical solutions for achieving diversity objectives.  She has extensive experience counseling senior leaders about these issues and their intersection with employment discrimination law.  In acknowledgement of her pre-eminence in this area, the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) had selected Ms. Hoffman to serve on its Workplace Diversity Expertise Panel.

Ms. Hoffman has received national media coverage of her observations about issues involving employment-related issues, including OFCCP compliance, glass ceiling issues, pay equity and diversity.  She frequently lectures on these topics and has also authored articles and book chapters.  She also has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia College in Chicago, teaching a course in Legal Aspects of Entertainment, Publishing and the Arts.

Ms. Hoffman is a partner in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of Seyfarth Shaw LLP where, since 1978, she has practiced labor and employment law.  As counsel to management, Ms. Hoffman advises employers of all varieties and sizes, including Fortune 100 manufacturing, technology, hospitality, and financial services companies.  Ms. Hoffman’s practice encompasses strategies to prevent and resolve employment discrimination litigation, including pay equity and glass ceiling issues; OFCCP defense and affirmative action compliance, and advice about legally defensible diversity practices.  She serves as Chair of the OFCCP Compliance, Affirmative Action & Diversity Consulting Practice Group within the Firm’s Labor & Employment Department.

Ms. Hoffman has extensive nation-wide experience defending clients in OFCCP audits of every type, every level of difficulty and in every OFCCP Region.  Her work with clients encompasses the development of defensive strategies as well as consulting to improve client performance in these critical audits.  Ms. Hoffman is a nationally recognized thought leader in the effective defense of significant OFCCP affected class allegations; in defending and resolving glass ceiling issues; in assessing, addressing and defending pay equity issues; and in using affirmative action plan results to map trends and spot issues for prevention of litigation.  She has a deep understanding of applicant definition, tracking and screening issues, has extensive knowledge of tools and technologies used to assist employers in these activities and has successfully defended many employers challenged by class-wide or individual discrimination allegations related to their applicant screening and hiring practices.

In 1998 Ms. Hoffman founded the Firm’s OFCCP Compliance, Affirmative Action & Diversity Team, a group of more than two dozen attorneys and non-attorney professionals who specialize in high quality counsel and support for OFCCP matters.  Under Ms. Hoffman’s leadership, the team represents hundreds of clients of all sizes and industries in matters involving OFCCP proceedings, including audits, enforcement actions, and other litigation.  The team has developed and assisted in the implementation of thousands of affirmative action programs, including large-scale fully outsourced AAP development and administration projects.

Ms. Hoffman also provides counsel and advice on diversity best practices, metrics, progress, metrics, progress management and change management.  Because of her nationwide practice, she has a broad knowledge of practical solutions for achieving diversity objectives.  She has extensive experience counseling senior leaders about these issues and their intersection with employment discrimination law.  In acknowledgement of her pre-eminence in this area, the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) had selected Ms. Hoffman to serve on its Workplace Diversity Expertise Panel.

Ms. Hoffman has received national media coverage of her observations about issues involving employment-related issues, including OFCCP compliance, glass ceiling issues, pay equity and diversity.  She frequently lectures on these topics and has also authored articles and book chapters.  She also has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia College in Chicago, teaching a course in Legal Aspects of Entertainment, Publishing and the Arts.

Education

  • J.D., Boston College Law School (1978)
  • B.A., Union College (1975)
    summa cum laude
    Phi Beta Kappa
  • University of Edinburgh (1973-1974)

Admissions

  • Illinois

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third and Seventh Circuits

Affiliations

  • Union College (Former Trustee, Board Secretary and Executive Committee Member)
  • Greater Los Angeles Industrial Liaison Group Board of Directors (Board Member)
  • Navistar Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board (Board Member)
  • Union College (Trustee, Board Secretary and Executive Committee Member)
  • The Graduate College of Union University (Former Trustee, Board Secretary)
  • AIDS Foundation of Chicago (Former Director and Executive Committee Member)
  • The National Conference for Community and Justice (Former National Advisor, Chicago Region Director and Executive Committee Member)
  • The University Club of Chicago (Former Director)
  • Remains Theatre (Past President)

Representative Engagements

Representative OFCCP Matters

  • Symantec Corporation, Cupertino, CA. 2010 OFCCP Corporate Management Compliance Evaluation (CMCE)
  • Flextronics, San Jose, CA. 2009 OFCCP CMCE
  • Jones Lang LaSalle, Chicago, IL: 2005 OFCCP CMCE
  • Hilton Hotels, Beverly Hills, CA: 2002 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Washington, D.C.: 1996-2002 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Dell Computer Company, Austin, TX: 2001-2002 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Brunswick Corporation, Lake Forest, IL: 2001 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Children’s Memorial Hospital, Washington, D.C.: 2001 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Keebler Company, Elmhurst, IL: 1999-2000 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Sentara Enterprises, Richmond, VA: 1998-99 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville, KY: 1998 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Farmland Industries, Inc., Kansas City, MO: 1996 OFCCP-CMCE
  • Maytag Corporation, Newton, IA: 1996 OFCCP-CMCE
  • United States Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Programs v. Coldwell Banker & Co. (U.S. DOL, Secretary of Labor, Washington, D.C. 1988) (Secretary of Labor approved negotiated agreement favorable to company, dissolving debarment order)

Publications

  • “DOL Extends Filing Deadline for 2011 VETS-100/100A Reports; Financial Institutions Will No Longer Sell U.S. Savings Bonds in 2012 & May No Longer Be Federal Contractors,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (August 12, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Publishes Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Compensation Data Collection Tool,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (August 11, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Releases Spring 2011 Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (July 28, 2011)
  • “DOL Announces OFCCP Priority of Seeking Class Relief for Equal Pay and Other Violations as Response to Dukes v. Wal-Mart,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (July 18, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Issues New Directive On Functional Affirmative Action Programs,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (June 6, 2011)
  • “Recall of OFCCP Audit Notices, Key OFCCP Management Changes & Other Important News,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (June 22, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Seeks To Require Contractors To Produce Additional Information During All Audits,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (May 17, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Publishes Proposed Vets Regulations in Federal Register,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (April 28, 2011)
  • “The “New” OFCCP In Action: 2011 Focus on Enforcement,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (April 1, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Veterans Regulations Is Imminent,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (March 31, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Directive 293: Jurisdiction Over Health Care Providers,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (February 9, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Releases Fall 2010 Regulatory Agenda,” Seyfarth Shaw, Management Alert (January 4, 2011)
  • “OFCCP Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letters On Their Way!,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (November 16, 2010)
  • “OFCCP Inspection of I-9s: A Thing of the Past,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (November 12, 2010)
  • “OFCCP Takes Steps To Rescind Compensation Guidelines,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (October 28, 2010)
  • “ALJ Rules That OFCCP Has Jurisdiction Over TRICARE Providers,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (October 21, 2010)
  • Key OFCCP Audit Focus: Outreach to Veterans and Disabled Individuals,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (July 29, 2010)
  • “OFCCP Publishes Advance Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking For Section 503 Regulations,” Seyfarth Shaw, One Minute Memo (June 27, 2010)
  • “Alternatives to RIFs: Saving Money Without Losing Employees,” Valerie J. Hoffman and Robert J. Nobile, EEO Insight Volume 1, Issue 3 (September, 2009)
  • “OFCCP’s ‘Internet Applicant’ Definition Requires Overhaul of Recruitment and Hiring Policies,” Society of Human Resources Management Legal Report (January/February 2006)
  • “EEO-1 Report Gets a Face Lift; EEOC Finally Approves Revisions Proposed in 2003,” Seyfarth Shaw Management Alert (November 18, 2005)
  • “OFCCP Issues Final Rule on Definition of an Internet Job Applicant and Advance Notice Letters of Compliance Evaluations for 1500 Federal Contractors,” Seyfarth Shaw Management Alert (October 10, 2005)
  • Affirmative Action, Federal Employment Laws and Regulations:  How To Comply? (American Chamber of Commerce Publishers, 2005)
  • “New Affirmative Action Regulations Arrive:  AAPs Overhauled,” Seyfarth Shaw Management Alert (November 15, 2000)
  • Conducting a Sexual Harassment Investigation, CBA Record (January 1995)

Recognition

  • Illinois Super Lawyer (2005-2011)
  • Leading Lawyer Network (2004-2011)
  • Who’s Who in America (1996-2011)

The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no certificate, award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.