We have some incredibly unfortunate news to report out of Florida, where one of the founding partners of Am Law 100 firm Greenberg Traurig recently passed away.
More than 50 years ago, Larry Hoffman, 95, and attorneys Mel Greenberg and Robert Traurig were inspired over a deli lunch to create a new firm, and in 1967, the trio founded Greenberg Traurig Hoffman. After serving as founding chairman and CEO, Hoffman decided to remove his surname from the firm’s name. Senior chairman Cesar L. Alvarez, one of Hoffman’s mentees, notes in the American Lawyer that it was because Hoffman was “[n]onegotistical with the firm’s best interest at heart.”
Hoffman, a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, oversaw the firm’s expansion from Florida to major markets across the East Coast, from New York to Washington, D.C. Under his leadership and as the “architect of the blueprint for growth,” Greenberg Traurig — currently ranked at No. 16 on the Am Law 100 — became one of the fastest-growing Biglaw firms. Thanks to Hoffman’s vision, the firm has expanded globally, with more than 2,850 lawyers spread across 49 offices on four continents.
Here’s what Greenberg Traurig leaders Brian Duffy, CEO, and Richard A. Rosenbaum, executive chairman, had to say of Hoffman:
“Larry was an incredible businessman and an even better partner and friend,” said Brian Duffy, CEO of Greenberg Traurig. “When Larry believed in you, it gave you the confidence to believe in yourself. He did so many things the right way and always for the right reasons. His passing is a reminder to the entire GT Family of what we owe to the man and his legacy.”
“Without Larry Hoffman, Greenberg Traurig, and myself personally, would not have experienced the extraordinary growth and success we have seen over many years,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, executive chairman of Greenberg Traurig, in a statement. “He was my second father and without his vision, sacrifice, unselfishness, wisdom and business savvy, his deep, though quiet, understanding of so many things relevant to a growing professional service organization, and his instincts about people, we would simply not be who we are today.”
Hoffman was the last living founder of the firm, having been predeceased by Traurig in 2018 and Greenberg in 1994.
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Larry Hoffman’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
Greenberg Traurig Founder Larry Hoffman Dies at 95 [American Lawyer]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post Founding Partner Of Top 20 Biglaw Firm Passes Away appeared first on Above the Law.
We have some incredibly unfortunate news to report out of Florida, where one of the founding partners of Am Law 100 firm Greenberg Traurig recently passed away.
More than 50 years ago, Larry Hoffman, 95, and attorneys Mel Greenberg and Robert Traurig were inspired over a deli lunch to create a new firm, and in 1967, the trio founded Greenberg Traurig Hoffman. After serving as founding chairman and CEO, Hoffman decided to remove his surname from the firm’s name. Senior chairman Cesar L. Alvarez, one of Hoffman’s mentees, notes in the American Lawyer that it was because Hoffman was “[n]onegotistical with the firm’s best interest at heart.”
Hoffman, a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, oversaw the firm’s expansion from Florida to major markets across the East Coast, from New York to Washington, D.C. Under his leadership and as the “architect of the blueprint for growth,” Greenberg Traurig — currently ranked at No. 16 on the Am Law 100 — became one of the fastest-growing Biglaw firms. Thanks to Hoffman’s vision, the firm has expanded globally, with more than 2,850 lawyers spread across 49 offices on four continents.
Here’s what Greenberg Traurig leaders Brian Duffy, CEO, and Richard A. Rosenbaum, executive chairman, had to say of Hoffman:
“Larry was an incredible businessman and an even better partner and friend,” said Brian Duffy, CEO of Greenberg Traurig. “When Larry believed in you, it gave you the confidence to believe in yourself. He did so many things the right way and always for the right reasons. His passing is a reminder to the entire GT Family of what we owe to the man and his legacy.”
“Without Larry Hoffman, Greenberg Traurig, and myself personally, would not have experienced the extraordinary growth and success we have seen over many years,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, executive chairman of Greenberg Traurig, in a statement. “He was my second father and without his vision, sacrifice, unselfishness, wisdom and business savvy, his deep, though quiet, understanding of so many things relevant to a growing professional service organization, and his instincts about people, we would simply not be who we are today.”
Hoffman was the last living founder of the firm, having been predeceased by Traurig in 2018 and Greenberg in 1994.
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Larry Hoffman’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
Greenberg Traurig Founder Larry Hoffman Dies at 95 [American Lawyer]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
