Matthew P. Dregne

Partner
Email: mdregne@staffordlaw.com
Direct: 608-259-2618
Offices: Madison
Legal Assistant
Trish Lund
608-259-2688
plund@staffordlaw.com
Practice Areas

Matthew P. Dregne

Partner
Partner
Email: mdregne@staffordlaw.com
Direct: 608-259-2618
Offices: Madison
Legal Assistant
Trish Lund
608-259-2688
plund@staffordlaw.com
Legal Assistant
Trish Lund
608-259-2688
plund@staffordlaw.com
Practice Areas


Best Lawyers Award Badge

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On the Job

Practice

Attorney Matt Dregne’s practice focuses primarily on government and administrative law. He serves as general counsel for a number of local governments, and regularly assists cities, villages, towns and counties with a wide range of legal matters. He also represents private parties in land use, development and other matters. His experience includes:

  • Assisting with the successful completion of complex urban redevelopment projects involving property acquisition, tax incremental financing, zoning and construction phases
  • Developing sophisticated stormwater management regulations and means of financing stormwater management infrastructure
  • Representing Dane County municipalities in matters involving the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission
  • Routinely advising local governments on land use and development matters as well as the organization, powers and duties of local governments
  • Representing municipal and county governments in trial and appellate litigation
  • Assisting with annexation and boundary issues
  • Advising on local regulation of land use and development
  • Assisting with property acquisition and eminent domain

Matt is admitted to practice in Wisconsin. Click here for Matt’s lawyer rating. Matt was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 in the fields of Land Use and Zoning Law, and Municipal Law.

Education

  • University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., 1992), cum laude
  • University of Wisconsin – Madison (B.A., 1987)

Professional Recognition and Awards

  • Named Best Lawyers 2013 Madison Municipal Law “Lawyer of the Year”
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (since 2007)

Teaching Experience and Writing

  • Matt frequently presents at municipal law seminars for municipal attorneys and local government officials and has authored articles on municipal law issues.

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • American Bar Association, member
  • Wisconsin Bar Association, member
  • Dane County Bar Association, member
  • Dane County Bar Association, former Director
  • Legal Action of Wisconsin, former Director

Off the Job

Matt and his wife Claire have two children, Noah and Olivia. Matt is an avid whitewater canoeist. He paddles solo and tandem open boats, and frequents some of the finest whitewater available in Wisconsin and Ontario, including the Wolf and Peshtigo river and Wauwa whitewater course in Wisconsin, and the Ottawa and Madawaska rivers in Ontario. In winter, Matt likes walks with his dog and cross county skiing.

  • Favorite foods: Fresh bread and good cheese
  • Favorite artist: My mom (such beautiful quilts!)
  • Favorite music: Neko Case
  • Favorite getaway: Wolf River in Langlade County, Wisconsin
  • Favorite book:The Lord of the Ringstrilogy, byJ.R.R. Tolkien
  • Favorite movies: Jean de Florette(1986); Shakespeare in Love; The Bourne Identity
  • Would like to visit: New Zealand;Norway;Prague
  • Last book read:The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden

Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors, Wingra School, Inc.

Recent Blogs

Filed Under: Appellate Law Municipal Law

Court of Appeals Confirms that an Unimproved Platted Public Road May Not Be Adversely Possessed

By: Olivia M. Dunn Matthew Dregne

A property owner, Timothy Casa De Calvo, sued the Town of Hudson claiming that he adversely possessed real property adjacent to his house. The property in question had been dedicated about 31 years before as a street on a subdivision plat. The circuit court granted summary judgment in favor of the Town, and the court […]

Sep 22, 2020 in Blogs
Filed Under: Municipal Law

U.S. Supreme Court Holds That Federal Age Discrimination Law Applies to All Public Employers

By: Matthew Dregne

Stafford’s Barb Neider co-authored the recently published article, “Not Authorized! Employees and Computer Fraud” with Joseph Diedrich. This article appears in the June issue of the Wisconsin Lawyer, the official monthly publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Nov 14, 2018 in Blogs
Filed Under: Municipal Law

Wis. Supreme Court Finds TID Findings are Legislative Determinations, Subject to Certiorari Review

By: Matthew Dregne

Wis. Supreme Court Finds TID Findings are Legislative Determinations, Subject to Certiorari Review In a recent 5-2 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held, inter alia, that findings of blight and a corresponding need for Tax Incremental Districts (TIDs) were “legislative determinations” and therefore not susceptible to full declaratory judgment review. Voters with Facts v. City […]

Jul 06, 2018 in Blogs