J. Thaddeus "Tad" Eckenrode

Tad Eckenrode is the founder and managing office of Eckenrode-Maupin, Attorneys-at-Law, a small boutique litigation practice with primarily an insurance defense focus, although the firm attorneys also handle construction and municipal law issues, estate planning and business/corporate issues. In the realm of the firm's litigation practice, and that of Mr. Eckenrode personally, cases involving medical malpractice, product liability, nursing home injuries and deaths, automobile accidents, premises liability and other general tort liability claims make up the vast majority of the types of cases that the firm and Mr. Eckenrode handle.

Over the last 30 years, Tad Eckenrode has taken over 90 cases to verdict in both in Illinois and Missouri state courts, as well as in Federal court. Having originally tried cases as criminal prosecutor, Mr. Eckenrode's first several civil trials were in the defense of employment discrimination matters, before transitioning to complex contract/business and tort litigation cases. Most of his trial verdicts have come in complex cases involving substantial injury or death claims.

Mr. Eckenrode is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars, as well as to large professional groups in the insurance or medical industries, both on a local level, as well as at national conferences. Likewise, he has had a number of professional articles published on issues related to trial practice and procedure, medical liability issues, and on general areas of legal interest.

Some of the defense verdicts obtained over the years by Mr. Eckenrode have been listed as among the "Top Defense Verdicts" for the year in the regional Missouri legal newspaper. In many of the cases taken to verdict by Mr. Eckenrode, the plaintiffs' damage award requests to the jury exceeded several million dollars.

Mr. Eckenrode is highly respected among his peers, both on the defense and plaintiff sides, as someone who is honest, candid and fair, but who also can provide a vigorous defense of his clients through trial. He is also a big believer in the use of modern technology in the practice of law, and keeps his firm on the cutting edge with regard to the latest innovations to help achieve the most organized case-management objectives, and to improve the odds of positive results for his clients.

Active in numerous civic and charitable endeavors, Tad has continually kept his firm engaged in community service projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway clean-up, Ronald McDonald House, OASIS Food Pantry, and many others.