Jim Heffner

Jim Heffner is a litigation partner and Chair of Hahn Loeser’s San Diego Litigation Practice Group, primarily handling high-stakes business disputes, complex commercial litigation, and large exposure employment litigation. He has a unique perspective, representing plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of disputes.

Jim knows from experience what motivates plaintiffs and defendants. This dual perspective informs his litigation and trial tactics, settlement negotiations, and mediation presentations. Jim’s emphasis on case-specific legal strategy results in efficient and effective tactics often unimagined by the opposition.

Far from a cookie-cutter practice turning out the same case time after time, Jim thrives on variety, flexibility, and creativity. He draws on his passion for the law, deep desire to win, and business acumen to the benefit of his clients, large and small.

Jim’s varied practice has given him substantial experience in litigation involving class-action defense, partnerships and other fiduciary relationships, officer and director liability, contracts, unfair competition, trade secrets, intellectual property, construction and real estate disputes, bad faith insurance claims, and actions for wrongful termination or wage and hour claims, including class action and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

Jim has a long-standing interest in technology and the cutting-edge intersection of technology, business, and the law. He applies his deep understanding of electronically stored information and communications to gain effective litigation advantages. He has mastered the contours of data preservation and production obligations in a variety of contexts and jurisdictions, giving his clients considerable advantages when seeking hard to obtain evidence.

Accolades

• Complete defense at trial on behalf of real estate developer in commercial dispute
• Obtained District Court judgment in favor of numerous defendants in major RICO action and defeated the appeal in the Ninth Circuit resolving the case entirely in defendants’ favor with an award of fees
• Representation of Fortune 500 company in Superior Court through appeal defending a breach of fiduciary duty class action resulting in complete defense and judgment awarding defense fees in excess of $1 million
• Successful defense at trial of the chairman of the board of publicly traded company against multi-million-dollar contractual interference claim
• Favorable resolution of multiple trade secret matters representing both plaintiffs and defendants
• Successful defense of Fortune 500 retailer company against class action arising out of the sale of diet drug
• Successful defense of major pharmaceutical company against product liability claim seeking $20 million in damages
• Successful defense of two of the world’s largest banks against numerous claims for violation of fair credit reporting and fair debt collection laws

• Hahn Loeser Partners Earn Patriotic Employer Award
  October 17, 2023
• Jim Heffner Named President of the La Jolla Bar Association
  February 10, 2021
• James E. Heffner Earns San Diego Daily Transcript Top 40 Under 40 Award
  May 16, 2018
• Jim Heffner Selected to San Diego Rising Stars in 2018 Super Lawyers
  March 30, 2018
• Heffner, Medina & Webb Elected to Partnership at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
  January 06, 2016
• Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Attorneys Listed as “San Diego Rising Stars” in 2016 Super Lawyers
  January 01, 2016
• 3 Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Attorneys Listed as “San Diego Rising Stars” in 2015 Super Lawyers
  February 16, 2015
• Litigation Attorneys Heffner and Mertens Join Hahn Loeser’s San Diego Office
  June 04, 2012

• Author

  Congress Reopens the Paycheck Protection Program

  January 21, 2021
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  You Wouldn’t Ask Your Barber to Clean Your Teeth – Hire a Trade Secret Litigator for Trade Secret Litigation

  September 25, 2020
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  The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Compliance Deadlines Are Approaching

  November 25, 2019
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  AMN Healthcare’s impact on the enforceability of non-solicitation provisions in California raises two new unanswered questions

  September 12, 2019
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  “The Expert Ethicist and Product Liability Litigation,” Jim Heffner, Esq.

  June 22, 2008
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  An Undue Burden on an Otherwise Feasible Defense: California Courts’ Burden on the Defendant Moving for Summary Judgment Based on Federal Preemption in Certain Medical Device Cases

  August 01, 2006