Hoefer leaves limitations of state work behind

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When Marney Hoefer starts working on a case she knows it likely will be sitting on her desk for a while.

An attorney with Stafford Rosenbaum LLP focused on environmental law, particularly air and water issues, Hoefer deals with cases that can go on for years.

“These are long, complex cases that require lots of research, documentation,” said Hoefer, who worked on both a master’s degree in land resource management and her law degree at the same time at the University of Wisconsin, earning both degrees in 2000. “I knew I wanted to be an environmental lawyer and having that science background is a good base and helpful when working with experts.”

Before joining Stafford Rosenbaum last year, Hoefer was a staff attorney with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. There, she faced the challenge of representing the DNR in cases involving large dairy farms.

“We were really limited in what we could do,” she said. “We could make sure they put in liners to protect the groundwater and issues like that, but couldn’t help in other areas that the neighbors were most concerned about, such as odors, property values, truck traffic.

“It was frustrating because of the DNR’s limitations.”

She has since left those types of cases behind and now works primarily on municipal wastewater and air pollution cases, as well as contaminated land sites, including the Ashland Northern States Power Lakefront Superfund Site.

One thing all the cases have in common, however: “There are such an insane amount of documents and paper involved,” Hoefer said.

Wisconsin Law Journal: What activity could you spend hours on outside of the office?
Marney Hoefer: Anything to do with water: kayaking, fishing or swimming

WLJ: What is your biggest accomplishment?
Hoefer: I know it is a cliché, but my kids

WLJ: What was your first concert?
Hoefer: John Denver

WLJ: What was the last book that you read?
Hoefer: “Gregor the Overlander” (read out loud to my kids)

WLJ: What app can’t you live without?
Hoefer: I know it is more than an app, but Google. Words with Friends ranks up there as well.

WLJ: What was your favorite childhood toy?
Hoefer: The dollhouse my dad made me. It was a really impressive house and he shingled the entire roof with little wood shingles.

WLJ: Who do you admire?
Hoefer: Jon Stewart. He makes people laugh and not take themselves so seriously. He also tackles some pretty important issues with humor and sarcasm.