Eight Veteran Intellectual Property Attorneys Expand AVEK IP's Reach Into St. Louis

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. and ST. LOUIS, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AVEK IP, LLC announced today that the intellectual property group of Sandberg Phoenix will join the firm effective Nov. 16, 2026. With the addition, AVEK IP will open its first office in St. Louis and have more than 30 attorneys overall.

Joining AVEK IP are shareholders Scott Gray, Joseph Rolnicki, Jonathan Soifer, and Tracey Truitt, and counsel Harley Blosser, McPherson Moore, Joseph Muller, and Philip Polster. The group's support staff is also expected to join. Truitt will practice from AVEK IP's Overland Park office. The rest of the group will be based in the new St. Louis office.

A Deeper Bench and a New Market

The incoming attorneys bring decades of patent and trademark prosecution, opinion, licensing, and litigation experience. Their technical work spans biotechnology and life sciences, agribusiness, electrical and communications systems, aerospace and defense, automotive, medical and dental devices, chemical processes, and software.

Several members of the group came to law from engineering or in-house roles, and the group is widely recognized by its peers.

"This is a strong group that shares our belief that clients are best served by a focused intellectual property firm," said Justin Poplin, co-managing partner at AVEK IP. "Its experience in biotech and university work expands our current practice significantly, and its aerospace, automotive, and other mechanical work complements our firm's core practice areas."

"Joining a dedicated IP boutique lets our team do what we do best," said Tracey Truitt, who has led the Intellectual Property practice group at Sandberg Phoenix. "AVEK IP's depth in patent prosecution, PTAB proceedings, and litigation gives our clients more resources, and we are excited to build AVEK IP's presence in St. Louis."

About AVEK IP

AVEK IP was formed in 2022 through the merger of Avant Law Group and Erickson Kernell IP. It is an intellectual property boutique focused on all aspects of patent, trademark, and copyright law. The firm's attorneys have handled thousands of patent and trademark prosecution matters and nearly 100 inter partes reviews before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. They also litigate IP disputes in federal courts across the country and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. AVEK IP is led by co-managing partners Kent Erickson and Justin Poplin.

About the St. Louis Intellectual Property Practice Group

The St. Louis intellectual property practice group serves clients ranging from independent inventors and start-ups to universities, technology incubators, and companies with large patent portfolios. Its attorneys prepare and prosecute U.S. and foreign patent and trademark applications. They also render patentability, validity, and freedom-to-operate opinions, negotiate licenses, and represent both plaintiffs and defendants in patent litigation and PTAB proceedings.

AVEK IP Firm Facts

• AVEK IP is an intellectual property boutique formed in 2022 through the merger of Avant Law Group and Erickson Kernell IP.
• Effective Nov. 16, 2026, the firm is expected to include 31 attorneys, five patent agents, and three patent engineers, supported by a professional staff of 16.
• The firm serves clients throughout the United States and internationally and practices before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, federal district courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• AVEK IP will operate from offices in Overland Park, Kansas, and St. Louis, Missouri, with additional offices in Golden, Colorado, and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as personnel in Texas.

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SOURCE Avek IP, LLC