About Lennie Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann
Leonard Hubert "Lennie" Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann (born 8 May 1934) is a senior South African–British judge. Currently, he serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; he formerly served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009. Well known for his decisions and willingness to break with convention, Hoffmann has had an especially large impact on the interpretation of contracts, shareholder actions in UK company law, in restricting tort liability for public authorities, human rights and intellectual property law, in particular patents. == Early life == Born on 8 May 1934, Leonard Hubert Hoffmann was a member of a Jewish family in Oranjezicht, overlooking Cape Town, South Africa. His grandparents established the family there in the late 1800s, having immigrated from Eastern Europe. His father was a well-known solicitor who co-founded what has become Africa's largest law firm, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs. == Education == Hoffmann was educated at the University of Cape Town and then attended The Queen's College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar, where he studied for the BCL degree and won the Vinerian Scholarship. Between 1961 and 1973, he was Stowell Civil Law Fellow at University College, Oxford, where he is an Honorary Fellow. == Legal career == Hoffmann became a barrister in 1973. His first client was a law student who had been evicted from his lodgings.
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