Stefan Hoffmann studied law at the University of Münster and, thereafter, was a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Düsseldorf. From 1999 to 2003, he was an associate at the Hamburg office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, interrupted by a one-year secondment to Debevoise & Plimpton in New York in 2001/2002. From 2003 to 2010, he worked with Rittstieg Rechtsanwälte in Hamburg, since 2004 as a partner. Subsequently, he was a partner with Gleiss Lutz until he established Hoffmann & de Vries at the beginning of 2013.