J Michael Hemmer

J. Michael Hemmer was named senior vice president, Law, and general counsel of Union Pacific Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad in June 2004. Hemmer joined Union Pacific in 2002 as vice president, Law. Prior to his appointment, Hemmer was a partner at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., specializing in transportation law. Hemmer joined Covington & Burling immediately after law school, and during his 26 years with the firm, served in a number of capacities, including managing partner for legal personnel and for information services. He also was involved in most of the major railroad merger proceedings that took place after 1980, and in dozens of other regulatory matters affecting the transportation industry. Hemmer's clients included Union Pacific, the Association of American Railroads, rail industry groups, CSXT, Triple Crown, the Transtar railroads, and Amtrak. He also represented the Penn Central trustees during that railroad's reorganization, and worked on regulatory and antitrust matters for United Airlines. Hemmer began his association with the railroad industry after high school when he worked in various operating positions for Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad; The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; and Southern Pacific Transportation Company.