Bradley Warren Thomas

Brad is a senior associate practicing intellectual property law, with a focus on patent prosecution. He practices across a wide variety of technologies and counsels clients on the management of large national and international patent portfolios. Brad supervises junior attorneys in drafting and prosecuting patents both domestically and internationally.

Brad has drafted more than 120 applications, including provisional and non-provisional utility applications and design applications. With experience in a diverse range of technology sectors, he has a deep understanding of biotechnology, including recombinant genetics and proteomics, biocatalytics, implantable devices, and alternative fuel production. His experience also extends to manufacturing including supply chain systems, product formulation processes, machinery, tooling, post-production modifications, optimization algorithms and automation.  In addition, Brad has substantial experience in software technologies, including computer and console games, distributed ledgers (e.g., blockchain), medical diagnostics, and artificial intelligence. His experience also extends to telecommunication and network technologies, including 5G network architecture, mesh networking, power scavenging, autonomous system integration, and beamforming.

Brad has considerable experience with U.S. patent-eligible subject matter issues under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and interpretive case law. I have experience with subject matter eligibility in foreign jurisdictions as well.

He manages non-U.S. patent assets in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, South Korea and Japan. He works with clients to facilitate their business objectives by identifying high-value international filing strategies that maximize global asset protection, while minimizing the cost to do so. 

In addition to portfolio management and counseling, Brad’s other work has included preparing licensing agreements, invalidity and non-infringement opinions, preparing patentability opinions, conducting due diligence assessments of patent portfolios, leading patent forwarding and harvesting sessions, and conducting research and preparing memoranda on various IP-related issues. 

Brad is active in pro bono representation. In 2024, Brad partnered with a veterans advocacy organizations to help file a discharge upgrade appeal on behalf of a Vietnam War Marine Corps combat veteran with multiple awards including a purple heart. The case is ongoing and the details are not public at this time. Among other cases, in 2018, Brad partnered with other shook associates to prepare and file a child complaint against a local school district. The complaint was prepared for the benefit of an at-risk foster youth who suffers from anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and possible schizophrenia in response to violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and multiple aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”) agreed that the school district was out of compliance, ordering the school district to implement educational surrogate procedures for students with disabilities who are wards of the state and to have their staff undergo associated training. The decision by DESE will help ensure that at-risk foster youth receive the benefit of consistent educational decision making by an educational guardian and are not penalized for the absence of a traditional “parent” in their lives. 

Before joining Shook, Brad interned in the legal group of a global electronic medical record developer, where he coordinated internal concept development and patent disclosures with outside counsel. He has also been published and has presented on his research findings related to the impact of phenotypic variation on drug metabolism, including the metabolism of methotrexate and folic acid.

Prior to law school, he worked as an assistant research scientist for a clinical pharmacology laboratory in a children’s hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.