In 1996, Drake returned to Wyoming and joined the Wyoming Attorney General's Office as the attorney responsible for seeking cost recovery of the nearly $1.05 billion expected to be spent on state funded clean-up of leaking underground storage tank sites. He also acted as Counsel to the Department of Environmental Quality in other capacities. In addition to his representation of the Department of Environmental Quality, Drake later served as chief tax counsel and was the supervising attorney for the Departments of Revenue and Audit and the Banking Commission. He acted as co-counsel for the states of New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming in an amicus effort before the United States Supreme Court in Amoco Production Co. et al. v. Southern Ute Indian Tribe in the successful effort to overturn the decision of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals relating to the ownership of coalbed methane gas.

While attending the University of Wyoming College of Law, Drake served as an editor on the Land and Water Law Review and was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award for Federal Courts. He believes that there is no more important skill to a lawyer than writing. To this end, he has published articles in the Temple Law Review, the Rutgers Law Review, the Hastings Constitutional Law Review, University of California, the Wyoming Law Review, and the Land and Water Law Review. Drake serves as the Chairman of Lawyer Mentoring Committee of the Wyoming State Bar, is a frequent speaker on a variety of practice areas, and is active in civic affairs.

Drake's practice is concentrated in oil and gas, oil and gas litigation, environmental law (including environmental insurance coverage), mineral and property taxation, employment, and general business litigation.

Drake and his wife, Cynthia, have one son and he enjoys his son's sporting activities and ot

her family activities.

For a complete curriculum vitae, click here.