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 employment discrimination litigation, affirmative action compliance, pay equity, glass ceiling issues and diversity metrics, and best practices. She serves as Chair of the Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Business Immigration Practice Groups within the Firm’s Labor & Employment department.
Ms. Hoffman has extensive experience in the design and management of large-scale affirmative action compliance administration outsourcing projects. In 1998 she founded the Firm’s Affirmative Action Consulting Team, a consulting group of non-attorney professionals who specialize in affirmative action program development and administration. The Team is supported by more than two dozen Seyfarth attorneys who practice in this area. Ms. Hoffman also speaks frequently about using affirmative action plan results to map trends and spot issues for prevention of litigation. She has been a leader in helping clients to leverage these compliance materials, using them as a management tool, and has worked extensively with applicant definition and tracking issues including technology solutions.
Ms. Hoffman also has extensive experience providing counsel and advice about diversity best practices, 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 this area, the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) has selected Ms. Hoffman to serve on its Workplace Diversity Special Expertise Panel.
Since 2006, Ms. Hoffman has led the Firm’s Business Immigration Group. This group delivers solutions for employers seeking to obtain and maintain work authorization for foreign workers, especially management, professional and technical workers. Seyfarth’s Business Immigration Group -- a provider of both U.S. as well as foreign country immigration services -- is a leader in the design and implementation of customized business immigration management programs.
Ms. Hoffman has received national media coverage of her observations about issues involving diversity, affirmative action and harassment. She has authored web-based and distance learning affirmative action training programs as well as webcasts, articles and book chapters. She also lectures frequently to employer groups on a variety of employment law topics and 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, summa cum laude (1975)
- Phi Beta Kappa
University of Edinburgh, Scotland (1973-1974)
