Daniel P. Hoffer

Partner
Hoffer Daniel

Dan Hoffer, co-chair of the Commercial Litigation California Practice Group and co-partner-in-charge of the Los Angeles office, is an accomplished litigator who focuses on all aspects of employment law, commercial, and class action defense. Dan advises companies and individuals in a wide variety of industries, including media and entertainment, financial services, real estate, retail, and communications. Dan has litigated hundreds of lawsuits in both state and federal courts, and before administrative agencies, such as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Dan represents entertainment executives and talent in disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, defamation, trade secrets, conversion, interference, and related torts. His clients regard him as a trusted strategist and advisor, adept at counseling them in avoiding litigation.

In addition to his litigation work, Dan has overseen and coordinated nationwide reductions in workforce for a national media and entertainment company. He is proficient at drafting employment-related documents, including governance and compliance policies, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, executive employment agreements, and employee policy manuals. 

Before joining Venable, Dan served with distinction as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

 

Experience

Government Experience

  • Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Representative Matters

Litigation

  • Obtained summary judgment in an invasion of privacy action that raised novel questions about vicarious liability and ratification
  • Obtained dismissal of an ousted partner's wrongful termination complaint on behalf of a global law firm
  • Secured a seven-figure jury verdict in a breach of employment contract action on behalf of the former general counsel of a national mortgage lender
  • Certified as class counsel on behalf of more than 1,000 current and former employees seeking unpaid wages and business expenses
  • Obtained a motion for summary judgment against an on-air personality's discrimination and related claims on behalf of a national media and entertainment company
  • Defeated contract and fraud cross-claims brought by a former co-owner, on behalf of an industrial supplies manufacturer; resulted in favorable resolution of lawsuit
  • Defeated class certification of unpaid wage claims brought by current and former employees in a wide variety of industries, including automobile services, retail and convenience, and food delivery
  • Defeated trade secret, interference, and related claims brought by a former advertiser on behalf of a national media and entertainment company
  • Defeated a radio broadcaster's application for preliminary injunction on behalf of a national media and entertainment company; subsequently defeated the broadcaster's contract and fraud claims
  • Obtained dismissal on behalf of an insurance brokerage through appeal of interference and related tort claims brought by those insured by the brokerage's client
  • Defeated a breach of contract claim asserted by the supplier of an automatic tube filling and sealing machine, on behalf of a cosmetics manufacturer; negotiated a favorable resolution of client's cross-claims

Advice, Counseling, and Compliance

  • Oversaw and prepared documents necessary to effect a nationwide reduction in force for a national media and entertainment company
  • Drafted pre-employment background and hiring guidelines for an international financial services company
  • Drafted a pre-employment drug screening policy for a national manufacturing company
 

Insights

Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. cum laude Pepperdine University School of Law 1994
  • B.A. English Literature cum laude California State University, Northridge 1991

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Recognition
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  • The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management, 2023 – 2025
  • Los Angeles Business Journal, Leaders of Influence, Labor and Employment, 2023
  • Super Lawyers
    • Southern California, 2009 – 2022
    • Employment Litigation Defense, Los Angeles, 2013
    • Rising Stars, Southern California, 2005 – 2007