Nikki Cannezzaro - Member

Ms. Cannezzaro is a very aggressive trial and appellate lawyer. She has tried numerous cases to juries ranging from multiple fatality automobile accidents to products and premise liability cases, obtaining favorable results for the firm’s clients in each case. This year, the Missouri Bar Foundation awarded Ms. Cannezzaro the Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award which recognizes unusual proficiency in the art of trial advocacy. Ms. Cannezzaro was recently awarded the “Rising Legal Leader Award” by the Kansas City Daily Record which recognizes those who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, service, sacrifice and accomplishment in improving the quality of justice in their communities and exemplified the highest ideals of the legal profession. Ms. Cannezzaro was the 2008 recipient of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s “Young Lawyer of the Year Award” for her excellence in public service, professionalism and legal accomplishments. Ms. Cannezzaro has been recognized by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly as an “Up & Coming Lawyer” in 2008, The Kansas City Business Journal in its list of “Best of the Bar” in Kansas City in 2005, 2007 2008, and 2009 as well as by Law & Politics as a “Rising Star Super Lawyer” in Missouri and Kansas.

Ms. Cannezzaro has been recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly for both her trial and appellate work. Ms. Cannezzaro’s trial work was recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly in their “Top Verdicts” special edition for 2002. The Missouri Lawyers Weekly published a review of the largest defense verdicts throughout the State of Missouri. In that publication, a case tried by Mr. Franke and Ms. Cannezzaro was selected as one of the best defense verdicts in the State of Missouri. On the appellate level, the Missouri Lawyers Weekly has recognized several of the cases in which Ms. Cannezzaro has been involved in its periodic reviews of “The Most Important Opinions” from the Missouri Appellate Courts.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Cannezzaro served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Robert G. Ulrich, Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.

Practice Areas:

Trucking & Automobile Litigation
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Professional Liability
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Bad Faith / Vexatious Refusal Litigation
Appellate Practice

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Bar Admissions:

State of Kansas
State of Missouri
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
United States District Court for the District of Kansas
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
Bar of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

Recent Trials:

Mann v. Gentry, Wyandotte County, MO, Case No. 07CV1022 (2009).
Zhang v. Sparks, Greene County, MO, Case No. 306 AC 6623 (2009).
Clark v. Murfin Drilling Co., et al.,Stevens County, KS, Case No. 07-CV-16 (2009).
Draper v. Advantage KC, et al., Jackson County, MO, Case No. 0716-CV21240 (2009).
Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, Inc. v. Ace Sports, Johnson County, KS, Case No. 07CV1504 (2008).
White v. McKinley, U.S. District Court, Western District of MO, Case No. 05-0203-CV-W-NKL (2008).
McIntyre v. C & J Management Services, Jackson County, MO, Case No. 0716-CV10818 (2008).
Wheeler v. Ware, Platte County, MO, Case No. 04CV83653 (2008).
Thompson v. Marler, Greene County, MO, Case No. 306AC3795 (2007).
Rivera v. General Store No. 2 d/b/a Marsh’s Apple Market, Jackson County, MO, Case No. 0616CV06193 (2007).
Williams v. 7th Street Apple Market, Wyandotte County, KS, Case No. 05CV1099 (2007).
Nentwig v. Willamette Industries, Inc., United States District Court, District of Kansas, Case No. 02-2143-CM (2006).
Brinkley’s Property Mgmt., et al. v. Fidelity Nat’l Field Servs., et al., Geary County, KS, Case No. 03 CV 241 (2006).
Kendrick v. Dee, et al., Johnson County, MO, Case No. 05JO-CV00230 (2006).
Records v. Century Roofing, Inc., Johnson County, KS, Case No. 05CV5430 (2006).
Boney, et ux. v. Worley, et ux., Cass County, MO, Case No. CV105-378CC (2006).
Manning v. Ottawa University, Franklin County, KS, Case No. 04-C-119 (2006).
Dodson v. Industrial Insulations, et ux., Jackson County, MO, Case No. 0516CV09978 (2005).
Kapur v. Buyrite d/b/a Queen’s Price Chopper, Johnson County, KS, Case No. 02CV01491 (2005).
Bostick v. Ferguson, Johnson County, KS, Case No. 02CV04319 (2005).
Olivera v. Action Plumbing, Inc., Douglas County, KS, Case No. (2004).
Smith v. Reynolds, Wyandotte County, KS, Case No. 2002C05043 (2004).
Coulter v. Benchmark Ins., Wyandotte County, KS, Case No. 2003SC10685 (2004).
American Auto Sales v. Progressive Cas. Ins., Wyandotte County, KS, Case No. 2003SC07777 (2003).
Cooper v. Hornbeck, LLC, et ux., Jackson County, MO, Case No. 03CV208916 (2003).
Terry v. Wood’s Supermarket, Bourbon County, KS, Case No. 01C143 (2002).
Carver v. Super S Auto Sales, et ux., Bates County, MO, Case No. CV100-133CC (2002).

Reported Cases:

Kindred v. City of Smithville, 292 S.W.3d 420 (Mo. App. 2009).
Thompson v. Marler, 286 S.W.3d 261 (Mo. App. 2009).
Nervig v. Workman, 285 S.W.3d 335 (Mo. App. 2009).
Hayes v. Price, -- S.W.3d --, 2009 WL 448179 (Mo. App. 2009).
Progressive Direct Ins. Co. v. Nervig, -- S.W.3d --, 2009 WL 281300 (Mo. App. 2009).
Wiebe v. Hicks, et al., 192 P.2d 184 (Kan. App. 2008).
Dibbens v. Shelter Mut. Ins. Co., 261 S.W.3d 553 (Mo. App. 2008).
Loyd v. State Auto Prop. & Cas. Co., 265 S.W.3d 901 (Mo. App. 2008).
Eide v. State Auto Nat. Ins. Co., 244 S.W.3d 797 (Mo. App. 2008).
Bottorff Const., Inc. v. Gates, -- S.W.3d --, 2008 WL 220176 (Mo. App. 2008).
Allen Quarries, Inc. v Auge, 244 S.W.3d 781 (Mo. App. 2008).
Baker v. G.J. Grewe, Inc., et al., 241 S.W.3d 420 (Mo. App. 2007).
Young v. McNeil, -- S.W.3d – (Mo. App. 2007).
Hardcore Concrete v. Med James, 220 S.W.3d 350 (Mo. App. 2007).
Verni v. Cleveland Chiropractic College, 212 S.W.3d 150 (Mo. banc 2007).
Smith v. Chamblin Properties, LLC, 201 S.W.3d 582 (Mo. App. 2006).
Shelter Mutual Ins. Co. v. Ballew, et al., 203 S.W.2d 789 (Mo. App. 2006).
Samuels v. American Family Ins. Co., 170 Fed. Appx. 443 (8th Cir. 2006).
Thompson v. Tuggle, 183 S.W.3d 611 (Mo. App. 2006).
Alea London Ltd. v. Bono-Soltysiak Enterprises, 186 S.W.3d 403 (Mo. App. 2006).
Verni v. Cleveland Chiropractic College, 2005 WL 2738919, S.W.3d (Mo. App. 2005).
Henson v. Dutch Flowers, L.L.C., 169 S.W.3d 868 (Mo. App. 2005).
Perkins v. Dvorak, 113 P.3d 274 (Kan. App. 2005).
Samuels v. American Family Ins. Co., 159 S.W.3d 868 (Mo. App. W.D. 2005).
Nentwig v. Georgia Pacific Corp., 375 F.3d 1009 (10th Cir. 2004).
Roberts v. Progressive Northwestern Ins. Co., 151 S.W.3d 891 (Mo. App. S.D. 2004).
Hein v. Grandboro Arms, L.P., 140 S.W.3d 164(Mo. App. W.D. 2004).
Wilson ex rel. Wilson v. Simmons, 103 S.W.3d 211 (Mo. App. W.D. 2003).
American Standard Ins. Co. of Wisconsin v. Bittick, 112 S.W.3d 55 (Mo. App. W.D. 2003).
Long v. Cross Reporting Service, Inc., 103 S.W.3d 249 (Mo. App. W.D. 2002).
Long v. Funeral Directors Services, Inc., 96 S.W.3d 885 (Mo. App. W.D. 2002).
Criswell v. Short, 70 S.W.3d 592 (Mo. App. W.D. 2002).

Professional Affiliations:

Earl E. O’Connor American Inn of Court
Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City (Board of Directors, 2004 - present)
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (Board of Directors, 2008 - present)
Lawyers Association of Kansas City (YLS Board of Directors, 2001 - 2004)
Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court, Lead Master
University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Law, Litigation Advisory Committee
Lon O. Hocker Society
Johnson County Bar Association
Kansas Women Attorneys Association
Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
Kansas Bar Association
Missouri Bar Organization
Association for Trial Lawyers of America

Speaker/Lecturer/Publications:

Tried and True Tips for the Trial Attorney - KCMBA; Kansas City, MO (2009).
Ethics: Litigation and Professionalism - Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court, Kansas City, MO (2009).
Civil Jury Trial Demonstration - Co-Sponsored by UMKC School of Law & KCMBA; Kansas City, MO (2009).
Premises Liability Case Preparation and Trial - National Business Institute; Kansas City, MO (2008).
Civil Jury Trial Demonstration - Co-Sponsored by UMKC School of Law & KCMBA; Kansas City, MO (2008).
Insurance Coverage Litigation – National Business Institute: Overland Park, KS (2007).
Settling Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims - National Business Institute; Kansas City, MO (2006).
Keys to Successful Pre-Trial Preparation in Kansas - National Business Institute; Overland Park, KS (2005).
A Practical Refresher on Litigating the Auto Injury Case - National Business Institute; Overland Park, KS (2005).
Handling the Automobile Injury Claim in Kansas - National Business Institute; Overland Park, KS (2004).
Drafting Motions That Get Results in Missouri- National Business Institute; Kansas City, MO (2003).
The Essentials of Missouri Appellate Practice- National Business Institute; Kansas City, MO (2002).
The Safe Schools Act: Legal and ADR Responses to Violence In Schools, 31 Urb. Law. 309 (1999).
Management Council of Wyoming Legis. v. Geringer, 30 Urb. Law. 495 (1998).
United States v. 194.08 Acres of Land, 30 Urb. Law. 773 (1998).

Education:

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, J.D.
University of Kansas, B.A.

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