Blake Shepard is the chair of Leonard, Street and Deinard’s Product Liability and Tort Litigation practice group. A partner at the firm since 1993, Blake has represented product manufacturers and other corporate clients in a wide variety of litigated matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Blake has extensive experience representing corporate clients in product liability, wrongful death and personal injury litigation; agricultural claims for feed damage and economic loss; product recall disputes; fraud, false advertising, consumer protection and federal racketeering claims; class action and mass tort claims; commercial warranty and breach of contract cases; workplace and construction accident cases; mold and toxic exposure claims; and a wide variety of commercial litigation matters.

Blake’s practice is national in scope. In recent years, he has represented Fortune 500 clients in cases in Texas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, California and Minnesota. Blake has also successfully appeared in state and federal appellate courts in Minnesota and around the country and participated in a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997.

Consistent with the firm’s commitment to pro bono and community service, Blake has devoted significant time and resources to the representation of clients through the Leonard, Street and Deinard Legal Clinic in south Minneapolis. Blake has successfully represented numerous clients seeking Social Security disability benefits and served as supervising attorney for other firm attorneys handling eligibility claims through the firm’s legal clinic. In 2007, Blake received the Hennepin County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award for Excellence in the Private Sector for his work representing disabled clients.

Blake is former chair of the firm’s Recruiting Committee. Before joining the firm, Blake served as Special Assistant to the Minnesota Attorney General.

Professional and Civic Activities

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Minnesota State Bar Association
• Member, Hennepin County Bar Association
• Former member, Board of Directors, Minnesota Justice Foundation

Education

• J.D., cum laude, Boston College Law School, 1984
       Executive editor, Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, 
       1983-1984
• B.A., cum laude, Dartmouth College, 1980

Admissions

• State of Minnesota
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court