Firm News

Capes Sokol proudly announces that Managing Shareholder Douglas Dove has been featured in the inaugural edition of St. Louis Magazine’s St. Louis Business 500, a prestigious guide recognizing the metro area’s most influential, impactful, and innovative leaders. 

In his exclusive interview, Dove shares his insights on the future of the industry, reflects on the greatest challenges of his career, and reveals the trusted sources he turns to for sound business advice. 

To read the full interview, visit St. Louis Magazine’s website or view his responses below. 

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES 

What has been your or your company’s most significant success over the last 12 months? We have successfully executed our initiative to increase overall growth in the firm’s business and top line revenue by broadening our services to existing clients and continuing to diversify our practice areas and client base. 

What has you most excited about the future of your company or industry? Capes Sokol continues to add practice groups to complement existing areas of legal expertise and also deepen the bench within existing practice groups, all in an effort to better serve our expanding client base. 

If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? It is much more common now for attorneys to switch firms than it used to be when I was a young lawyer. There are, of course, lots of reasons why people change jobs and firms, and it’s often understandable, but it would be nice if it was the exception as opposed to the rule. 

What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome (excluding the pandemic) and why? As we have grown, it has become increasingly more difficult to maintain the close-knit culture that brought the original founders together in the first place. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to maintain a great culture and an environment where all employees are happy and engaged on both a professional and personal level. I think it’s a testament to a good working environment that two of our current practice group chairs started their careers at Capes Sokol immediately out of law school and rose to leadership roles. In fact, there are a great number of people that have been with the firm longer than I have, and that longevity and devotion is something we strive to achieve. 

MENTORS & PEERS 

To whom or where do you go for sound business advice? I tend to lean heavily on our firm chairman, Jeff Cohen, and the chairs of our various practice groups. Jeff held the managing shareholder position for nine years and is an invaluable resource. I also value the advice of our practice group leaders. They have a great handle on what is happening within their departments and help to bring matters into perspective. 

Do you have a business mentor? If so, who and why? I don’t really have a mentor, per se, but I have learned over the years by watching each of the founding members of the firm and I greatly value their guidance and insight since they have pretty much seen it all. 

What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career? Early in my career I was advised that client communication and managing expectations are key to successful representation and client satisfaction. The work that we do is extremely important to our clients and it’s critical to keep them informed as matters progress so that they develop an understanding of the possible outcomes. 

If you could have dinner with any two area business leaders, who would you choose and why? Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis CITY SC. I think it’s incredible what Carolyn Kindle and the Taylor family have done for downtown St. Louis with addition of a Major League Soccer club and I would like to hear her thoughts on what more we can all do to make St. Louis a better place to live and work. Jim McKelvey of Block, Inc. because as someone with deep knowledge regarding payment systems I would love to hear his thoughts about the possible implementation of a central bank digital currency by the Federal Reserve Bank. Other countries have explored the concept, most notably China, and I would like to hear his perspective on the pros and cons of moving to such a payment system. 

Who is the most interesting under-the-radar/emerging business leader in St. Louis and why? This may seem a little self-serving, but I think that my partner, Sarah Luem, is an emerging leader in the St. Louis community. Sarah worked as a management consultant before going to law school, and I think her business experience provides her with a unique perspective in dealing with client matters. She joined Capes Sokol right out of law school and worked her way up to chair of the Business and Real Estate practice group. In addition to her leadership roles at Capes Sokol, she’s a great networker and is heavily involved with CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) at both the local and national levels. She is the President-Elect for the St. Louis chapter of CREW and also serves as a delegate liaising with the national CREW organization. It will be fun to watch as Sarah’s career continues to take off. 

What is one thing you would change about the St. Louis metro area business environment and why? I am a true believer that a unified government between St. Louis City and St. Louis County is important to all businesses in the St. Louis region. Even though strides have been made to bridge the City-County divide, I think things are still too parochial. There are plenty of successful examples of such unification in other areas of the country, and we have all witnessed the tremendous growth that Nashville has experienced through its unification with Davidson County, Tennessee. There is no reason that St. Louis can’t enjoy the same level of success through a unification plan that would enhance the business climate in the region. 

BACKGROUND 

Where were you born? Shelbyville, Illinois 

What was your childhood aspiration? As a child, my great-grandfather achieved the distinction of being the longest serving judge in the State of Illinois (he served over four decades on the bench but has since been surpassed in length of service). He lived in an old Victorian home in the small town where I grew up, and he had this wonderful home office that looked like a quintessential judge’s chambers. It was a long room with a big mahogany desk at one end and a separate sitting area surrounded by shelves full of law books. I loved sitting behind that desk and thinking one day I would be a judge. 

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? I worked on a grain and cattle farm doing all manner of terrible jobs in the blazing summer heat, from spading thistle in the pasture to bailing hay and inoculating cattle. As the youngest worker on the farm, I got all the worst jobs and developed a lot of grit. I realized early that I didn’t want to do that kind of work for the rest of my life, and I learned the value of a good education. 

What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they earned? Bachelor of Arts, DePauw University (1989); Juris Doctorate, Washington University in St. Louis (1992) 

HOBBIES & INTERESTS 

If you were not in your current profession, what would you be doing and why? I would probably be a commercial lender. My father was in the banking industry his entire career, and I have a real affinity for community banking. 

What is your favorite St. Louis-area restaurant, and what do you typically order there? Carl’s Drive-In. Double cheeseburger with fries and a frosty mug of root beer. 

What is one item you recently crossed off your bucket list? Much to my wife’s chagrin, I bought a motorcycle. Growing up we had an old Indian and a Kawasaki enduro, and I’ve always wanted something to tool around town on. 

What is one book you think everyone should read (or podcast everyone should listen to) and why? I was a political science and history major in college, and I am a junkie for related topics. An author named Tim Marshall wrote a book called Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Explain Everything About the World. It was written about 10 years ago but has withstood the test of time and still provides an excellent view of today’s geo-politics and what is happening in our world. 

What’s your hobby/passion? I love to play golf. I don’t have a single-digit handicap, and I doubt I ever will, but I truly enjoy everything about the sport. 

What is your most prized possession? I am generally not one to be nostalgic, but I treasure the family photos in my office. I have several photos of my wife and children taken over the years at my wife’s family house in northern Michigan, and they remind me of the wonderful times we have when we are all together. I also have a picture of my maternal grandfather standing on the shores of Oahu with a shark that he caught. He looks like a character from a Hemingway novel and reminds me of a simpler time. 

What would people be surprised to learn about you—a fun fact? Most people who don’t know me would be surprised to learn that I grew up in a tiny town (population under 5,000) in Central Illinois. 

What is your go-to karaoke song? Almost every morning in the shower is karaoke for me. I don’t have a good voice, but that’s never stopped me from belting out the tunes. Thank goodness there isn’t an audience. I like all genres of music, and in addition to the old classics I currently would settle on “Dial Drunk” by Noah Kahan, “Silver Lining” by Mt. Joy, and “Feathered Indians” by Tyler Childers.