Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, announces today that partner Karl Zobrist was among a group of lawyers honored as recipients of Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s 2021 ICON Award. The ICON Awards are presented to distinguished lawyers age 60 and older in recognition of their exemplary careers and longstanding commitment to the Missouri legal community.

Zobrist, a member of Dentons' Energy practice and resident in the Firm’s Kansas City office, represents electricity, natural gas and telecommunications companies, as well as industrial and investment companies interested in energy and public utility matters, in a wide variety of proceedings before regulatory bodies. Many of his most significant accomplishments touch on some of today’s most urgent issues—renewable energy, electricity infrastructure, police reform and equity for the disadvantaged. In Missouri, Zobrist has served for many years as outside counsel to the operating utilities of Evergy, Inc. Many cases in which he played key roles led to the construction of wind generation projects, transmission lines to bring renewable generation to market and to improve gird reliability, and upgrades to existing resources to meet environmental standards.

Zobrist was appointed chair of the Missouri Public Service Commission by Governor Mel Carnahan in 1995 as the electricity industry began to undergo significant changes. During his tenure (1996–97), he promoted initiatives to bring greater security to the electricity grid and directed studies to find ways to lower consumer costs. He also chaired the Missouri Energy Policy Task Force (2001–2002) and served as interim president of Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO) when it was founded in 1998. MISO was the first regional transmission organization certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2001. Zobrist now serves as counsel to the MISO board of directors.

An active member of his community, Zobrist is president of the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation, and a former chair of the board of trustees of the Friends of the Conservatory of Music & Dance at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. He was a member of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners (2000-2010), first appointed by Governor Carnahan and reappointed by Governor Bob Holden in 2004. Today, he serves as president of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, where he helps lead its mission of preserving and raising awareness of the lessons of the Holocaust through survivor testimonials, community programs, archival materials and other educational resources.