J. Bruce Hoof, Partner
bruce@hoofhughes.com

Bruce Hoof was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1948, and lived there for one week. Based upon that experience he became a life-long Red Sox fan. Because his father was a naval officer, Bruce grew up all over the world living in California, Hawaii, Washington, DC, Bath, England and Annapolis, Maryland before attending prep school at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1966. While in England, he attended the Kingswood School, a British Boys Boarding School originally founded by John Wesley in the mid 1700s. Mr. Hoof graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1970 with a B.A. in history. While at UNC, Mr. Hoof was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta Honor Societies. Thereafter he received the prestigious Patrick Wilson Scholarship to Vanderbilt Law School. He completed his legal education at Vanderbilt and was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1973.

Bruce has practiced law in Durham since 1973, concentrating in the areas of insurance defense and civil litigation. He has tried a large number and great variety of civil cases over the last 30 years appearing in numerous different counties and judicial districts within the North Carolina system, as well as federal court. He has argued a number of landmark cases before the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals, including Woodson v. Morris Rowland. He has held for many years the prestigious Martindale Hubbell “A” rating, and is one of only three lawyers recommended in Durham by Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys. He is a member and former board member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and also serves on the The External Advisory Board for the UNC-Chapel Hill Humanities Program.

Bruce has been married since 1969 to the former Ms. Lloydette Humphrey. Ms. Hoof retired from the position of Executive Director of the Durham Public Education Network in June 2001 after having led that non-profit corporation for several years. Their daughter is Mary Lloyd Hoof Preble. They are also the proud grandparents of Jack and Allison Preble.

Outside the practice of law Bruce is particularly interested in reading and studying history, philosophy, economics and current public policy issues; and will occasionally contribute opinion pieces to the editorial pages of Durham’s newspapers concerning these subjects. Mr. Hoof has a particular interest in the philosophical and psychological bases required for designing and maintaining political/economic/legal structures and systems that most effectively deliver the optimum combination of security, prosperity, legal and political liberty and opportunity to individual citizens. He has for a number of years read and studied extensively works of history that shed light on this issue and he has focused on the historical contrasts between successful and failed efforts to design such societies.

In his free time, Bruce enjoys his family and particularly his grandchildren, Carolina athletics, and of course hoping that the Red Sox will repeat the miracle of 2004, and vanquish the evil empire from the Bronx!

Mr. Hoof is assisted by paralegals Sarah S. Hovemeyer and April V. Sansom.

James H. Hughes, Partner
jim@hoofhughes.com

Mr. Hughes has practiced in Durham since 1978 with a concentration in civil litigation including commercial litigation, personal injury, collections and employment in both Federal and State courts. Mr. Hughes has successfully argued cases in the North Carolina Supreme Court, The North Carolina Court of Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Durham County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association, serving as chairman of numerous committees.

Mr. Hughes is married with two daughters and two grandchildren. He enjoys sailing on his boat ("In Court"), visiting his favorite beach (Topsail Island), and baseball. Mr. Hughes is assisted by his paralegal Sigi Grandstaff.

Chris Carrington, formerly an associate with the law firm of Hedrick Murray & Cheek, joined Hoof & Hughes in 2007 as an associate. Chris is a native of Connecticut, who received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his juris doctorate from Drake University Law School. He has been practicing civil litigation since 1998 with particular emphasis on insurance defense and general commercial matters. He has significant jury and courtside trial experience in litigation involving contract disputes, ultra-hazardous activity, rental car liability, real estate concerns, general premises and motor vehicle liability, and subrogation claims. He is admitted to practice in both North Carolina and Connecticut State and Federal courts. At Hoof & Hughes, Chris’s practice continues to concentrate on civil litigation.

Chris has been married to his wife, Caroline, since 1998. Together they have a four year old son Chase, who is an avid baseball player and dedicated fan of the Durham Bulls. Chris and Caroline are expecting the birth of their second child, a daughter, in late August, 2007. In his spare time, Chris is involved as a member of the Board of Directors of Caring House, a Durham-based non-profit organization dedicated to housing persons receiving outpatient treatment at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Chris is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Southwest Durham Rotary Club, contributing as the Director in charge of his chapter’s vocational/community services.