Michael D. Hockley

Mike is a partner with Spencer Fane where he is a member of its Environmental Law practice group and has served in a variety of firm management positions, including as a member of the firm’s executive committee. Mike's practice concentrates on litigation, environmental law, and renewable energy, with an emphasis on environmental litigation, regulatory permitting, and enforcement proceedings. In addition to representing individual clients in hazardous waste, Clean Air Act, and multi-media enforcement and permitting proceedings, he has chaired Superfund site steering committees and served as group counsel to steering committees and industry groups in environmental litigation. Mike also frequently counsels clients on environmental compliance issues.

Mike has served in leadership roles in a variety of civic and professional organizations. He is past Chair of the United Way of Johnson County and the Alliance of Greater Kansas City United Ways. Mike recently chaired the One United Way Committee resulting in the merger of four area United Ways to form the United Way of Greater Kansas City. He is a charter member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the United Way of Greater Kansas City and currently serves as the Vice Chair. Mike also is past President of the Overland Park Rotary Club Foundation and Vice President of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Foundation Board of Trustees. Mike has served as the Chair of the American Bar Association's Superfund and Hazardous Waste Committee of the Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources and as a Vice-Chair for the Section's Special Committee on Practice Development. He has also served as a sub-committee chair for the Litigation Section's Committee on Environmental Law. He is a Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers and is listed in Who's Who in American Law, The Best Lawyers in America, Madison's Who's Who of Professionals, Chambers USA List of Leading Lawyers, and the Kansas and Missouri List of Super Lawyers.

Mike graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1973 and the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1980, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers. Mike was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and in that capacity advised the U.S. Army Environmental Law Division in Washington, D.C. on environmental compliance issues.

He frequently writes and speaks to a wide variety of audiences on environmental law topics.

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