Thomas M. Patton

Thomas advises clients on intellectual property and business litigation involving a variety of technologies.

Thomas’ practice focuses on intellectual property disputes, with an emphasis on patent and trade secret litigation, enforcing and defending his clients’ rights in a wide range of technologies, from software and telecommunications to medical devices, automotive, GPS, consumer appliances, gas containment and roofing.

Thomas has experience with all stages of complex intellectual property and commercial litigation in federal and state court, preparing pre-litigation assessments, developing case strategies, facilitating mediations and settlements, and trying cases, prioritizing his clients’ interests throughout.

In addition to practicing in Minnesota and Missouri, Thomas appears regularly in the top national venues for patent litigation, including in Delaware, Texas, California, Virginia, Washington and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Thomas is registered patent attorney with experience prosecuting patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He draws on this both while litigating cases and while advising clients on intellectual property protection policies, patent prosecution, patent harvesting, patent monetization strategies and NDAs, and other contracts.

Thomas taps into his background in engineering to understand his clients’ technologies. He worked at a manufacturing company, assisting with inventory management, driving a forklift and powder coating. Thomas was employed at an engineering firm; he worked on project oversight, project closeout and preparations for arbitration. Thomas also served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate engineering courses.

Thomas is dedicated to serving the community and maintains an active pro bono practice. He assists individuals seeking asylum, including assisting with asylum applications, arguing at various hearings, obtaining and renewing work authorizations and obtaining and assisting country experts. He also served as lead counsel representing his asylum client at a merits hearing. Thomas is licensed to practice in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and various U.S. District Courts.

Patent and Trademark Litigation

• Member of a trial team representing a major telecommunication company in a case involving multiple patents in the District of Kansas, successfully recovering over $150 million in damages.
• Member of a team representing a major telecommunications company in patent cases in the District of Delaware, Eastern District of Virginia, and District of Kansas, successfully recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement.
• Member of a team successfully defending an electronics developer in a patent suit involving multiple patents in the District of Kansas. With over $200 million being sought, Thomas and his team successfully obtained summary judgment of non-infringement, which was affirmed on appeal, with plaintiff paying certain costs incurred during litigation.
• Member of a team defending a video game and system developer in patent suits in the Western District of Washington.
• Member of a team defending manufacturer of mechanical devices from a patent infringement suit in the District of Delaware
• Member of a team defending a patent and trademark infringement suit in multiple Federal District Courts related to a GPS system patent.
• Member of a team successfully defending a patent infringement suit in the Northern District of California relating to medical devices.
• Member of a team defending a major auto manufacturer in a patent infringement suit, successfully indemnifying his client from damages

Copyright, Trade Secret and Business Litigation

• Member of a team defending a copyright suit in the Western District of Missouri.
• Member of a team protecting a major telecommunications company from trade secret theft and breach of contracts.

Intellectual Property Advising

• Advising manufacturer and retail regarding IP NDAs and manufacturing agreements.

Pro Bono

• Lead attorney representing asylee seeking asylum through final merits hearing.
• Representing various juveniles at initial detention docket hearing before permanent counsel is located.

Education

• University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., 2016, with distinction
• Iowa State University, B.S., 2013, cum laude

Admissions

• Iowa, 2021
• Minnesota, 2020
• Missouri, 2016
• U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 2017
• U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, 2021
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2016
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2021
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 2021
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 2021
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2022
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2024
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2022
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2023

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Litigation - Intellectual Property, 2024-2025; Litigation - Patent, 2025
• Great Plains Super Lawyers Rising Star, Intellectual Property Litigation, 2023-2024
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022-2023
• Boyd Service Award, Highest Honors, 2016
• Tau Beta Pi Association