Ingram's April 2023

CLASS of 2023

MIKE CAPPO Law-firm litigators are famed for hav ing the cool resolve of riverboat gamblers, which is an apt metaphor for Mike Cappo

and his work as a partner at Shook, Hardy and Bacon, dealing with what’s often referred to as bet-the-company casework. “My teams and I use real-time analytics, alternative fee arrangements, and innova tive legal strategies to defend some of the world’s largest companies in high stakes, complex litigation,” says Cappo, 37. “My expertise with batteries and alarm services makes me a trusted adviser for clients in those fields, and I manage national and international litigation portfolios with tens of millions of dollars in exposure for industry-leading companies.” Just last fall, the firm bestowed upon him the John F. Murphy Compass Award for Leadership, named after Shook’s past chairman. “Connecting people, building relation ships, mentoring, and learning from Mishelle Drake, “I am aware of the difficult circumstances my family and friends in Venezuela face daily. This awareness has and continues to drive my desire to get involved in the com munity and find ways to help people succeed no matter the cards they are dealt. At the end of the day, I want to make my parents proud and make all the sacrifices that they made for me to be worth it.” Drake, the 33-year-old associ ate general counsel for Kiewit Corp’s Lenexa operations, has made an impact both at work and in civic life here. Her work life requires legal acumen, as she demonstrated serving as lead counsel in the negotiation of a Kiewit project entailing engineering, procurement, and construction on one of the larg

others drives me,” Cappo says, “and being recognized by my peers and our Chair Madeleine McDonough was hum bling.” After the litigation dust settles, he remains active; “community involve ment is important to me,” he says, citing service on Visit KC’s executive commit tee, finance committee, and board of directors. That’s engaged him with the organization’s strategic direction, this month’s hosting of the NFL Draft and FIFA World Cup 2026 details. And with Kansas City Tomorrow, he says, he's learned about the region's most pressing challenges and opportunities to address them. All of that has a personal impact, as well, he says: "My wife, Elizabeth, and I live in Kansas City and plan to spend our lives here.” est solar facilities in the United States. “As Kiewit dives into the renewable energy market,” she says, “I am hon ored to have contributed in a small way toward the future of energy.” On the civic side, she’s been the Change Campaign cabinet leader for United WE, addressing economic, social, and policy changes that confront women, especially women of color. “It matters to me to be a part of that change,” she says. She was also a Kansas City Land Bank appointee of former mayor Sly James and a past winner of the Robert C. Welch Volunteer Attorney Project Award, recognizing her pro bono legal work. “At my core,” Drake says, “I am an individual who values integrity, loy alty, and compassion towards others.”

MISHELLE DRAKE “Although I was privileged to have come to America at seven years old to fight for the American Dream,” says

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I ng r am ’ s

April 2023

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