Paul R. Hoferer

Mr. Hoferer joined Lathrop & Gage after retiring as Vice President and General Counsel for BNSF Railway Company, Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008. In addition to supervising in-house counsel and the General Claims Department, he was responsible for nearly 3,000 lawsuits handled by over 100 law firms throughout the United States and Canada.

Mr. Hoferer began his career with the Santa Fe Law Department in 1975 as a trial attorney. He was later promoted to General Attorney, Assistant General Counsel and managed the regional law office in Topeka, Kansas.  Following the merger of Burlington Northern Railroad and The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company in 1995, he was promoted to Assistant Vice President-Claims and Litigation Counsel. In 2000, he became General Counsel and in 2002 Vice President and General Counsel.

Mr. Hoferer can also be contacted at 4244 S. W. Clarion Lakes Drive, Topeka, KS 66610, telephone number: (785) 478-4273 or email him at prhoferer@hotmail.com.

Court Memberships

• Kansas
• Kansas Supreme Court
• Texas
• Texas Supreme Court
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Not admitted in Missouri

Honors

• President, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, 2002-2003
• Recognition of Excellence Award from the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, 2006
• Paul C. Garrett Award for Meritorious Service to the Association of American Railroad General Claims Conference, 2000
• Martindale-Hubbell® “AV” Rating
• Chairman, Association of American Railroads General Claims Conference, 1997-1998

Professional Affiliations

• Washburn University School of Law Board of Governors, 2004-present
• American Association of Railroads Claim Agent School Instructor, 1979-present
• Chairman of the Association of American Railroads Public Safety Working Group, 2007-2008
• Chairman of Association of American Railroads Punitive Damages Working Group, 2006-2007
• Member of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, 1975-present AAR General Claims Conference Chairman, 1997-1998

Publications

• Author, Some Old, Some New Thoughts To Solve the Economists’ Shell Game, The Chronicle, Volume 41, No. 1, January/February 1996
• Author, When a Plaintiff Refuses Rehabilitation, The Chronicle, Volume 77, No. 6, November/December 1992
• Co-Author, Witness Preparation Procedures, The Chronicle, Volume 32, No. 3, May/June 1987

Presentations

• Speaker, Creating and Maintaining the In-House Relationship, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, Winter Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, March 2008
• Speaker, Selection and Retention of Outside Counsel, The Harmonie Group Conference, Miami Beach, FL, January 2008
• Instructor, Association of American Railroads Claim Agents School, Chicago, IL, 1979-2007
• Speaker, Litigation in the Post Enron World, Lathrop & Gage Seminar, InterContinental Hotel, Kansas City, MO, May 2007
• Speaker, Improving Communications Between Class 1’s and Short Lines, 13th Annual Railroad Liability Seminar, Denver, CO, July 2006
• Speaker, Issues Trial Attorneys Should Raise in Every Case, Occupational Claims Seminar, Bar Harbor, Maine, June 2005
• Testified as the railroad industry spokesman before the United States Judiciary Committee concerning asbestos litigation on behalf of the Association of American Railroads, February 2005
• Speaker, Diversity in the World of Business and Best Practices for Achieving Diversity and Complying with Anti-Discrimination Laws, Diversity Forums sponsored by Washburn Law School, Kansas City, MO and Topeka, KS, April 2004
• Speaker, What House Counsel Want From Their Lawyers and Update Concerning Grade Crossing Programs, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, Winter Meeting, Lake Buena Vista, FL, February 2001
• Speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Texas Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, New Orleans, LA, April 1998
• Instructor, Railroad Claims School, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan, 1996-2005
• Speaker, The Economist Shell Game, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, Annual Meeting, Greenbriar, WV, August 1995
• Speaker, 72nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., January 1993
• Program Co-chairman and Speaker, Annual Meeting of National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, July 1992
• Instructor, Grade Crossing Investigation School, Flagstaff, AZ, June 1991
• Speaker, Kansas Railroad/Highway Conference, Topeka, KS, January 1991
• Instructor, Grade Crossing Investigation School, Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA, July 1989
• Instructor, Texas Department of Public Safety/Grade Crossing Accident Investigation Program, Austin, TX, February 1989
• Speaker, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel Regional Meeting, The Greenbriar, WV, February 1987
• Speaker, Association of  American Railroad Workshop/Highway Railroad Program, Chicago, IL, 1982
• Speaker, National Safety Council, National Operation Lifesaver Symposium, San Antonio, TX, 1982