Diversity & Inclusion 2023: Mark E. Stallion

Officer, Shareholder, Practice Group Lead, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., St. Louis

As a dedicated mentor for students and entrepreneurs, Mark Stallion serves as a board member for Arch Grants, which provides funding to innovative start-up companies, and for Venture Café, which is part of the start-up community ecosystem. He has mentored students through Junior Achievement, and served on the boards of the Independent Youth entrepreneurship organization and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Currently, he is board chair for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.

As a registered patent attorney with more than 10 years of experience as an engineer, Stallion brings his intellectual property clients a strong combination of legal and technical knowledge. He handles patent and trademark prosecution and portfolio management, both domestic and foreign. He also renders patent infringement, validity and other opinions, and advises in a variety of industries, including blockchain, advertising, food science technology, robotics, telecommunications, and petroleum exploration/production systems. He represents Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies as well as mid-cap and start-up companies, universities and research institutions.

For his firm, Stallion leads the Intellectual Property Practice Group and also the Cortex team, which supports entrepreneurs and the wider innovation community.

Stallion earned his JD from Saint Louis University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

What has most inspired you in your work for Diversity & Inclusion?

Working with and seeing diverse undergraduate students transition to law school, graduate, and start their successful law practices as part of a program I initiated at my prior firm. Mentoring a rising senior in high school, and then seeing that person breeze through undergrad and prepare to attend law school in fall 2023 as part of a program I initiated at my current firm.

What more must Missouri’s law firms do to promote meaningful and long-term diversity within their ranks?

Initiate and participate in efforts to establish a pipeline of new diverse attorneys. Be intentional about making sure that diverse attorneys are allowed access to equal opportunity, including getting meaningful assignments and training commensurate with their years of experience.