The POWER List 2022: Jeff Masson

Thompson Coburn, St. Louis

A litigator and ag insider who works with the largest agribusinesses in the United States, Jeff Masson helps his clients develop effective litigation strategies on a national and global scale. His in-the-field experience as a former crop consultant and plant specialist prepared him for his current role of giving practical, straightforward advice to clients in the agriculture and biotechnology industries.

Masson’s rare blend of legal and agricultural experience allows him to assess litigation threats quickly, work directly with growers, crop advisors, and product manufacturers and distributors, and converse seamlessly with expert witnesses. His specialty areas include business litigation, intellectual property litigation and product liability.

In Bowman v. Monsanto (U.S. Supreme Court), Masson played an instrumental role in an influential saved seed case that resulted in a unanimous ruling by the court for Monsanto in 2013. He helped develop the core legal strategy for the case and led Monsanto through six years of appeals. The decision had far-reaching effects for other companies that produce self-replicating technologies, such as vaccines and cell lines.

A native of Louisiana, Masson has authored several academic articles in the subject area of weed science. He frequently speaks on ag law trends at the request of national crop consultant companies, agronomy societies and plant protection boards.

He is a partner in his firm and serves on the firm’s Management Committee. Masson earned his law degree from Southern University Law Center in 2003.