Thad Blenke named a 2021 Missouri Up & Coming Lawyer

Thompson Coburn is pleased to announce that Thad Blenke, associate in the Firm’s Intellectual Property group, has been named a 2021 Up & Coming Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Media. This honor recognizes early-career lawyers who demonstrate professional excellence while making a positive impact on their profession and communities.

Thad assists clients with a variety of intellectual property matters including domestic and foreign patent prosecution and patent litigation, particularly in the areas of electrical and mechanical engineering, post-grant procedures at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, trademark prosecution and clearance, and copyright registration and enforcement. He just completed a year-long term as Chair of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis’s Patent, Trademark, and Copyright (PTC) Section, leading the group throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Outside of the legal community, Thad has assisted as a mentor for an Esports startup company with STADIA Ventures in St. Louis as part of their accelerator program for up and coming startups. He is a member of the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) and slated to expand into  leadership and committee roles with ESTA. He has been a featured panelist on a legal roundtable discussion as part of EsportsNext Spring 2021 through ESTA discussing intellectual property law matters facing Esports organizations. Thad served as the main catalyst in working to launch an esports extension of Thompson Coburn’s Sports Law Group.

Thad, alongside the other 50 Up & Coming winners, will be recognized during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency on September 29.