Paul Gordon Hoffman

Partner | Los Angeles

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+ 310 228 5786
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Legal secretary Julie Durkin

Email Julie
+1 310 228 5793

Paul is a partner in the private client and tax team.   

He practices in the areas of domestic and international tax, estate planning, trust administration and probate and charitable planning. He was a founding member of Hoffman, Sabban & Watenmaker, APC, where he practiced for over 40 years prior to joining Withers.   

Paul has presented at prestigious conferences, including the American Bar Association Tax Section, AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, USC Tax Institute, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, USC Probate and Trust Conference, Practicing Law Institute, California Continuing Education of the Bar and the NYU Tax Institute. He has also taught taxation at UCLA School of Law and taxation and gifts, wills and trusts at the USC Law Center. 

Paul is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the co-chair of the UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute. He is also a member of the Motion Picture and Television Tax Institute, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and is on the planning committee of the USC Trust and Estate Conference (formerly known as the USC Probate and Trust Conference) and the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. He is a former chairperson of the Tax Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. 


Achievements

Paul is recognized by Chambers and Partners in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for his leadership in Private Wealth Law, a distinction he has maintained since 2016. He has also been named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Southern California by Super Lawyers three times and has received the Super Lawyer designation every year since 2005. Additionally, Paul has been recognized as a Top Tax Lawyer in Los Angeles by Best Lawyers and is recognized as a Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.  

Withers grows California team with addition of Hoffman Sabban & Watenmaker law firm


The HSW practice, consisting of eight lawyers, three paralegals and additional team members, enhances Withers' robust estate, tax and charitable planning, trusts and estates administration and trusts and estates litigation practices in California.

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Recent recognition

2026 Best Lawyers recognition badge for Paul Gordon Hoffman
2025 Chambers High Net Worth Guide recognition badge for Paul Gordon Hoffman
Recognition for 2025 Martindale Hubble Preeminent peer rated for highest level of professional excellence
Recognition badge for an attorney being ranked by Super Lawyers for 2025
Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC)

Experience

Private client
Tax

Talks

  • 'Entertainment Industry Hot Topics,' USC Tax Institute - January 27, 2025, speaker

External Publications

  • ​'Federal and California Individual Income Tax Developments,' USC Law School Tax Institute - 1996, co-authored 

  • 'Retirement Plans & QTIPS,' CEB - 1995, co-authored 

  • 'New Developments: Grantor Trust,' NYU - 1995, co-authored 

  • 'International Estate Planning,' Matthew Bender - 1992, contributed 

  • 'Estate Planning - A Client Based Approach,' 39 Major Tax Planning - 1987, co-authored 

  • 'Estate Planning for Qualified Plan Benefits After 1986,' Estate Planning - 1987, co-authored 

  • 'The Marital Deduction: Beyond the Basics,' 35 Major Tax Planning - 1983, co-authored 

  • 'Income Taxation of Estates and Trusts,' CEB - 1980; 'Estate Planning for Clients with Special Assets,' Estate Planning - 1980, co-authored 

  • 'Estate Planning for Individuals in the Entertainment Industry,' Southern California Tax Institute 875 - 1979, co-authored 

  • 'Planning An Estate in Light of Recent Changes in Tax and Copyright Laws,' 5 Estate Planning 90 - co-authored 

  • 'Salary - Continuation Plans Can Be Estate Tax Free But May Run Into Gift Tax Problems,' 9 Taxation For Lawyers 376, authored 

  • 'Should You Make Gifts Before Year-End? The Effect of the Tax Reform Act of 1976,' 52 Los Angeles Bar Journal 226, authored 

  • 'Limits on Retroactive Decision Making by the Internal Revenue Service: Redefining Abuse of Discretion Under Section 7805 (b),' 23 UCLA Law Review 529, authored 

  • 'Brentmark Pension & Excise Tax Planner,' best-selling software program, co-designed 

Admissions

  • California

Education

  • University of California, Berkeley (B.S., 1972; M.B.A., 1973) 

  • University of California, Los Angeles (J.D., 1976) 

Languages

  • English

Memberships

  • UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, co-chair 

  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, fellow 

  • USC Trust and Estate Conference planning committee 

  • Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, planning committee

  • Beverly Hills Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, member

  • Motion Picture and Television Tax Institute, member 

  • Beta Gamma Sigma  

  • Beta Alpha Psi  

  • Beverly Hills Bar Association, Tax Section, former chairperson 

Withers History

  • Joined 2025

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