UMSL graduate Tom Minogue has served as chairman of Thompson Coburn, St. Louis’ largest law firm, since 2002. (Photo by August Jennewein)
One of the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ most distinguished alumni, Thompson Coburn Chairman Tom Minogue, was in the spotlight earlier this week in a Q&A in the St. Louis Business Journal.
“Tom Minogue’s family had little money — his dad was disabled after World II, when he was hit by a kamikaze pilot, and his mom eventually became disabled, too,” reporter Greg Edwards’ story began. “He paid his way through college and law school by teaching tennis on public courts in North County, becoming the first graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis to earn a law degree at Harvard University.”
Minogue majored in economics, earning his undergraduate degree in 1976. He has been a strong supporter of his alma mater and serves on the Chancellor’s Council.
He graduated from law school three years later and soon after joined the firm then known as Thompson & Mitchell.
Minogue became a partner in 1985 and has served as the firm’s chairman since 2002, leading its growth to become the largest firm in St. Louis with 375 lawyers and more than $200 million in revenue.
He and Edwards discussed his long tenure as chairman of the firm, its future and the impact it’s already had on the landscape of downtown St. Louis.
“Ten years ago, we made a decision to stay downtown after surveying all of our people,” Minogue said in one response. “The junior people, in particular, wanted us to stay in the vibrancy of an urban environment. Everybody outside of St. Louis also wanted us to stay downtown, with the Arch and Busch Stadium. If you are the market leader, that’s how you should present yourself to the world. U.S. Bank and the Missouri Development Authority helped us convert the abandoned St. Louis Centre mall into parking for our people. All of the Washington Avenue retail — the MX, Robust, Pi Pizzeria, the Blues Museum — none of that would have been there if we didn’t stay downtown. All of this because of 300 parking spaces.”
Read the full Q&A here.
