Paul M. Hoffman

Email: pmhoffman@hsgblaw.com  | Phone: 907-586-3340

Honors—BV® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rating^SM by Martindale-Hubbell® 

Paul M. Hoffman grew up in Alaska and returned there to practice law after graduating from the University of Oregon with honors and having served honorably in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era.  He has been admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of Alaska since 1974 and regularly appears before State and Federal Courts in a wide variety of matters.

Over the years, Paul has developed his litigation skills in insurance defense and personal injury matters and workers compensation cases as well as a broad range of products liability, malpractice, labor law, and business tort litigation issues and has become our resident expert on all issues related to estate planning. Paul is also our in-house electronics guru and has been the driving force behind the firm keeping pace with technological advancements.  When he finds spare time, he enjoys spending it outdoors boating, fishing and hunting—and building personal computers.

Admitted

• Alaska, 1974
• U.S. District Court, District of Alaska, 1974
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1979
• U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1995

Education

• University of Oregon, J.D., 1974
• University of Oregon, B.A., Honors College, 1969

Memberships

• Juneau Bar Association
• Alaska Bar Association

Military service

• U.S. Army, served honorably during the Vietnam War era

Reported cases

Following is a representative sample of 28 reported cases in which Mr. Hoffman has appeared as counsel:

• Adams v. City of Tenakee Springs, 963 P.2d 1047 (Alaska 1998)—protected city fire department from adverse litigation
• Munoz v. Albuquerque A.R.T. Co., 829 F. Supp. 309, (D. Alaska 1993), 149 A.L.R. Fed. 779—dismissal of defendant for lack of personal jurisdiction
• Edenshaw v. Safeway, Inc., 186 P.3d 568 (Alaska 2008)—successfully defended negligence issue
• McGee v. McGee, 974 P.2d 983 (Alaska 1999)—halibut and black cod individual fishing quotas were determined to be marital property
• Gaede v. Saunders, 53 P.3d 1126 (Alaska 2002)—scope of required workers compensation coverage clarified
• Lown v. Nichols Plumbing and Heating Co., 634 P.2d 554 (Alaska1981)—successfully prosecuted quiet title action
• Wickwire v. City and Borough of Juneau, 557 P.2d 783 (Alaska 1976)—successfully defended municipal easement
• Green v. Kake Tribal Corp., 816 P.2d 1363 (Alaska 1991)—clarified the interrelationship between Alaska workers compensation and Social Security disability benefits
• Adepoju v. Fred Meyer Stores, Slip Opinion, WL 5101811 2008 (Alaska 2008)—successfully defended employer from PTD claim in very difficult situation
• Limani v. First American Title, Inc., Slip Copy, WL 3834006 2009 (D. Alaska 2009)—successfully defended out of state company by lack of jurisdiction defense
• Bathony v. Transamerica Occidental Life Inc. Co., 795 F.Supp. 296 (D. Alaska 1992)—successfully defended insurance company against claim of injury
• Alaska Pulp Corp. v. Trading Union, Inc., 896 P.2d 235 (Alaska 1995)—clarified application of "last injurious exposure rule"
• Olson Logging Co. v. Lawson, 856 P.2d 1155 (Alaska 1993)—clarified evidence necessary for application of "last injurious exposure rule"
• Justice v. RMH Aero Logging, Inc., 42 P.3d 549 (Alaska 2002)—clarified compensation statutes and basis for determination

Born

• Glasgow, Montana, January 29, 1946

Areas of practice