PRESS RELEASE
For Release: IMMEDIATELY
ESTABLISHED AVIATION DEFENSE FIRM REORGANIZES TO FORM
HOFF & HERRAN
CHICAGO – The aviation defense firm formerly
known as Hoff & Collins has formally announced its reorganization as the
law firm of Hoff & Herran, effective January 1, 2009.
The reorganization of Hoff &
Herran reflects the firm’s continuing development and growing business, as well
as ongoing personal attention to its clients.
Clients continue to seek the counsel and representation of Mr. John S.
Hoff based upon his national reputation and successful record. Mr. Alex Herran, who has practiced with Mr.
Hoff as a senior trial attorney, has now become a partner at Hoff & Herran.
Mr. Herran’s interest in the firm will further serve to protect and defend the
interests of the firm’s current and future clients.
Like its predecessor entity, Hoff
& Herran will continue to focus on aviation litigation, as well as aviation
related matters. Combining over 50 years
of legal and operational experience in aviation and litigation, Hoff &
Herran offers highly specialized, effective, focused, and personal legal
representation. The highly trained legal
and operational staff at Hoff & Herran continues to handle insurance
defense and coverage matters, as well as transportation law, Federal Aviation
Administration pilot enforcement actions, product liability, premises
liability, wrongful death, personal injury, property and casualty
litigation. Hoff & Herran provides
experienced international representation as it regularly engages in complex
multi-jurisdictional litigation. Jeffrey
F. Clement, Timothy J. O’Connell and Jared A. Schneider will continue to be
associated with the new firm. Glenn
Collins will be Of Counsel to the new firm.
About John S. Hoff, Esq. – Mr. Hoff attended law school at Southwestern University
in Los Angeles,
while on Active Duty with U.S. Air Force, and graduated with a Juris Doctorate
in 1975. Mr. Hoff also studied law at Oxford
University (Worcester
College) in Oxford,
England in 1973 through the University of California,
Berkeley. After
receiving an MBA in finance from California State Law at Fullerton
in 1971, he completed a second Masters Degree in Military History from the American Military
University in 1995.
Mr. Hoff is a graduate of the Air
War College
(1995); Air Command and Staff College (1991); and Squadron Officer School
(1979). In 1975, after completing his
legal studies and leaving Active Duty after eight years in the USAF, Mr. Hoff
began his legal career as a staff and trial attorney in the Headquarters of the
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel, Litigation
Division, in Washington, D.C. (1975-76). Mr. Hoff entered private practice in 1976 by
joining the law firm of Lord, Bissell and Brook, performing litigation in the
aviation section of the firm. Mr. Hoff specializes in aviation litigation and
insurance defense. His practice brings together a unique blend of aviation,
insurance defense, environmental law and litigation. In addition to Mr. Hoff's aviation and legal
credentials, he served in the Active Reserves and retired as a full Colonel in
1998. He holds an FAA Commercial Pilot’s license, with single and multi-engine
and instrument ratings. Additionally,
he’s a Certified Pilot Instructor and holds a Commercial Glider Pilot
Certificate. Mr. Hoff has flown a Sawaringer Metroliner (SA226), a Falcon 20
and Learjet 24 in Part 135 Charter Operations. Further, he holds the credential
of a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) since conferment in
1981, as well as a Certified Cost Estimator (CCE), and is also a licensed
Illinois Real Estate Broker (REB).
Mr. Hoff has authored numerous
articles on aviation and military matters. He was a featured speaker at the SMU
Air Law Symposium, the Aviation Insurance Association (APA) and Embry-Riddle University’s
Air Law Conferences. He was the past
President of the Aviation Insurance Association (AIA), and also serves as its
past Vice President and Secretary, as well as Director of the Attorneys
Section. He was also an Officer of the Great Lakes Chapter of the International
Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI).
Mr. Hoff is admitted to practice
law in the following jurisdictions: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, California, Michigan, New York, Minnesota and the District
of Columbia, as well as numerous Federal Courts and
the U.S. Supreme Court.
About Alex Herran, Esq. –
Mr. Herran was admitted to the Illinois Bar and The United States District
Court Northern District of Illinois in 1991. Mr. Herran is also a member of The
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth
Circuits. Mr. Herran earned his B.S. in 1986 at Illinois State University and his J.D. from DePaul
University College of Law in 1991. Mr.
Herran’s practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation. He has extensive
trial experience in both state and federal courts including aviation
litigation, commercial litigation, insurance defense litigation, product
liability litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, chancery
proceedings, as well as arbitrations and mediations. Mr. Herran has also
successfully argued various appellate matters throughout the State of Illinois and Federal District Courts and has been
admitted to practice pro hac vice in
over twenty courts throughout the United States. Mr. Herran has participated in various
multi-district litigation matters, and has served as an attorney on the
Executive Committee of several commercial aviation disaster cases pending in
various United States Federal District Courts, including American Airlines
Flight 587 (U.S. District Court Southern District of New York) and Egypt Air
(U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York).
For more information, visit www.aviationattorney.com or contact Mary Stecyna at (312) 346-8111.