Timothy D. Hoffman

Partner

Tim is a past member of the firm’s Board of Directors. With more than 30 years of experience in environmental law, he concentrates his practice defending clients in civil penalty and alleged environmental crime cases, as well as handling a broad range of environmental matters in virtually every environmental media. This experience includes pre-purchase environmental due diligence in real estate, corporate transactions and negotiating favorable environmental permit terms. The most rewarding part of his practice involves day-to-day counseling and advice of an ongoing nature to clients, helping prevent future potential enforcement problems.

As an environmental defense attorney, Tim has successfully handled many civil penalty cases where initial proposed penalties ranged from $100,000 to more than $1.8 million and has a sustained track record of saving his clients thousands of dollars in transaction costs and civil penalties with resolution of nearly 100 percent of these enforcement cases before trial using negotiation and alternative dispute resolution methods. In addition to saving legal fees, penalties and transaction costs, Tim’s clients often preserve their ongoing working relationships with environmental regulators after resolving a case. Tim has resolved numerous white collar crime investigations using a similar strategy.

He started his environmental practice as in-house counsel to a multi-billion dollar conglomerate that produced rubber and plastic products for automotive and non-automotive applications, as well as wall coverings, luggage, and other industrial and consumer products. While there he defended the company in environmental enforcement proceedings around the country and helped develop the company’s first overall environmental compliance and auditing programs for its 23 domestic and international manufacturing facilities.

Credentials

Education

Capital University School of Law (J.D., 1981)

Capital University (B.A., cum laude, 1978)

Bar admissions

  • Ohio

Court admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Affiliations and memberships

  • American Bar Association
    • Solid & Hazardous Waste Committee
    • Environmental Quality Committee
  • Ohio State Bar Association, Environmental Committee
  • Dayton Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee
  • Junior Achievement of Dayton and Miami Valley, Inc., Board of Directors, past member
  • Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council, Board of Trustees, past member
  • Capital University Alumni, Varsity “C”
  • Dayton Rotary Club (2010 – present)

Distinctions

  • Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers®
    • “Lawyer of the Year” in Dayton for Environmental Law (2018, 2020)
    • Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental (2022, 2024)
  • Best of the Bar in The Dayton Business Journal
  • Ohio Super Lawyers®
  • Chambers USA®America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Natural Resources & Environment

Career Highlights
  • Guided Long-time Client Through Life Cycle of Company Sale

    We guided our long-time client Pak-Sher, a U.S. manufacturer of innovative carryout and kitchen prep plastic packaging, in its sale to Revolution, a leading plastics provider for closed loop plastic solutions. Our attorneys represented our client through all aspects of the sale process, which included counseling the company’s leadership on transitional elements, from personnel changes to shareholder matters. Shareholder matters included drafting a proxy statement in soliciting shareholder approval of the transaction and the ultimate liquidation and dissolution of the company. Post-close, we continued to provide assistance to our client on transaction-related items and the winding-up process, which included drafting a long term plan of complete liquidation and dissolution.

News
  • August 21, 2025

    260 Dinsmore Attorneys Listed as 2026 Best Lawyers®, Ones to Watch

  • August 15, 2024

    250+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers ®, Ones to Watch

  • June 10, 2024

    Dinsmore Expands its Chambers and Partners Rankings with Top Honors Across Multiple States and Practice Areas

  • August 17, 2023

    200+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2024 Best Lawyers®, “Ones to Watch”

  • June 6, 2023

    Dinsmore’s Chambers USA 2023 Rankings Show Continued Growth Across the Firm

  • March 30, 2023

    Dinsmore’s Corporate Team Closes Two Substantial Deals for Clients in March

  • August 18, 2022

    2023 Best Lawyers® List Recognizes 190 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

  • August 19, 2021

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 191 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

  • May 24, 2021

    Dinsmore’s Chambers USA 2021 Rankings Increase as Firm Grows Nationwide

  • August 20, 2020

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 180 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

Events
  • October 6, 2020

    Tax Implications of Environmental Settlements