Jonathan Hoffmann | Consumer Finance Litigation

Education

Vanderbilt University Law School

J.D., 2014, Senior Publication Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law, Moot Court Board
Emory University

B.A., 2009, summa cum laude, Burt and Betty Schear Family Prize

Bar Admissions

Alabama, 2014

Jonathan Hoffmann advises both sports and consumer-facing entities.

Jonathan’s sports and corporate clients span a wide range, including organizing committees of multi-sport events, sports commissions, convention and visitors bureaus, national governing bodies (NGBs), tax-exempt sports organizations, leagues, sport presentation companies, and consultants. He has served as outside general counsel for a number of organizing committees, including those for The World Games 2022 and the 2025 World Police & Fire Games, and has a demonstrated history of success negotiating and drafting licensing, production, distribution, rights, and other commercial deals, as well as transactions related to operations, sponsorship, and all facets of large scale sporting and entertainment events. Jonathan also advises sports clients on corporate governance matters, investigations, risk mitigation, federal and state regulatory compliance, and contract negotiation and management.

In Jonathan's consumer compliance and litigation practice, he has handled hundreds of individual and class action lawsuits arising from commercial disputes, bankruptcy practices, and allegations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). These matters include bet-the-company litigation and managing portfolios of cases requiring consistent national strategy.

In a blend of these two practices, Jonathan offers corporate advice, contract negotiation, and M&A support for the ARM industry, as well as assistance to firm clients engaging in M&A requiring federal regulatory review by consumer watchdogs, such as the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust review of transactions under the Hart-Scott-Rodin Antitrust Improvements Act.

Complementary to his practices, Jonathan counsels clients on data privacy and AI compliance and is CIPP/US certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). He advises across transactions and internal reviews, ensuring these critical issues are addressed and align with regulatory requirements.

Jonathan serves as the Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Belgium for Alabama and Mississippi.

What do you find most exciting about your work?

Creative problem solving. Whether it's crafting litigation strategy, developing compliant business practices that keep businesses profitable, or giving general advice and gut checks, finding ways to treat each case with nuance and a fresh look not only gives our clients the best results but keeps my work engaging. It’s easy to tell clients “no”, particularly in the face of shifting regulations without guidance, or to roll out a tried and true strategy. But the better result wades into the grey and treats each matter anew.
How are you involved in your community?

Though I spend my days in the office practicing law, I remain an active composer and advocate for the arts. I sit on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and co-founded the ASO's Junior Patrons. Helping the ASO provide Birmingham and Alabama world class music and composing works for professional and amateur ensembles alike is a true passion of mine.

Select Matters

Sport: Advise NGBs on intellectual property rights management and monetization, data privacy, competition risk mitigation, SafeSport, officials and judge selection processes, and contract negotiation, as well as assist in the creation and successful certification of NGBs
Sport: Serve as outside General Counsel for multi-sport organizing committees, negotiating hundreds of contracts spanning venues, vendors, and IP licensing, advising regarding governmental affairs (including the drafting and enactment of legislation to facilitate competition and athlete treatment from foreign medical staff), interactions with International Federations (IFs), risk mitigation, visa issues, and crisis management, and overseeing compliance
Sport: Advise league regarding media rights, IP protection and enforcement, corporate structuring and tax exempt issues, and means to attain NGB and IF-like status for a non-Olympic sport
Data Privacy and AI: Assist numerous businesses across industries on the creation of and compliance with AI and data privacy policies, procedures, and practices, as well as assist in compliance with applicable law on the handling of consumer data, including when implementing AI applications for business processes and analytics
Data Privacy and AI: Advise and assist on M&A transactions implicating transfer of consumer data
Consumer Compliance: Assist financing company implement sweeping regulation on debt collection practices, while remaining compliant with various pre-existing, often conflicting, state and federal laws and regulations
Consumer Compliance: Advise various business, ranging from insurance brokerages to home security companies to electric utilities, on credit reporting and credit accessing rules and regulations, including assistance on FTC periodic assessments with particular focus on Red Flags Rule and other identity theft mitigation aspects of credit reporting practices
Consumer Finance Litigation: Regularly obtain decisions creating favorable case law of first impression, including coordinating national strategy culminating in favorable decision from the U.S. Supreme Court
Consumer Finance Litigation: Successfully handled hundreds of individual suits and dozens of class actions, including successfully resolving multiple class actions with over $200,000,000 in exposure
Creditors Rights and Bankruptcy: Full service assistance to note buyers from asset identification through foreclosure and deficiency ligation, including recently obtaining an opinion of first impression under Alabama law shutting down novel theories of wrongful foreclosure

Case Studies

Publications

News

Events & Speaking Engagements

Credentials

Education

Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., 2014, Senior Publication Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law, Moot Court Board
Emory University, B.A., 2009, summa cum laude, Burt and Betty Schear Family Prize

Bar Admissions

Alabama, 2014

Professional Affiliations

Alabama Bar Association
Birmingham Bar Association
Sports Lawyers Association
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

Awards & Accolades

The Best Lawyers in America^®, Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Mid-South Super Lawyers, Rising Star
Birmingham Business Journal, Top 40 Under 40, 2022
Birmingham Business Journal, Top NextGenBHM: Law Section, 2021
Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US)

Community Involvement

Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Board of Directors
ASO Junior Patrons, Founder
Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Belgium for Alabama and Mississippi
Birmingham MS Leadership, Class of 2016

Languages

French

Jonathan P. Hoffmann