Cacioppo, Gordon, Metzel, and Sharpe Recognized as 2026 Leadership in Law Honorees

Taft is pleased to announce that Jayna Cacioppo, Kristine Gordon, Andi Metzel, and Kelly Sharpe were recognized as 2026 Leadership in Law honorees by The Indiana Lawyer. Cacioppo and Metzel were named Distinguished Barristers, Gordon was named an Up and Coming Lawyer, and Sharpe was named a Legal Support Star at an awards ceremony held on May 26.

The Indiana Lawyer annually honors Indiana attorneys and professionals who make meaningful contributions not only to the legal profession but to their communities and beyond. The Distinguished Barrister, Up and Coming Lawyer, and Legal Support Star awards honor such members of the legal community.

Cacioppo is a partner in Taft's Litigation practice group with significant courtroom experience in both civil and criminal matters. Her practice concentrates on complex disputes, including complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, M&A claims, trade secret misappropriation, healthcare disputes, financial services litigation, and regulatory investigations by state and federal agencies.

Gordon is an attorney in Taft's Litigation practice group and assists clients in a wide variety of areas involving environmental, employment, and commercial litigation. She routinely advises clients on environmental compliance matters involving state and federal environmental laws. Her litigation experience also includes employment and commercial business disputes.

Metzel is chair of Taft's Indianapolis Commercial Litigation practice and focuses on land use matters and complex business litigation. She represents developers, companies, and individuals in matters involving corporate governance, white-collar litigation, fraud, RICO, product liability, class actions, trade secrets, and non-compete disputes in state and federal courts.

Sharpe is a director of business development where she develops and implements business development and marketing programs to support client development opportunities and strategic growth for Taft's Indianapolis office and the firm's Business and Public Affairs groups. She partners closely with attorneys to strengthen client relationships, pursue new business opportunities, and execute strategic initiatives.