Ryan Russell Kemper named to St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list

Thompson Coburn partner Ryan Russell Kemper was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list for 2017. He is one of just four attorneys named to the list, which also includes up-and-coming leaders in the areas of health care, finance, retail, real estate, and more. 

The Business Journal received more than 450 nominations for this year’s list. The 40 winners will be honored at a Feb. 16 awards banquet in St. Louis.

Ryan advises clients on federal environmental laws, sustainability and climate change issues, Superfund litigation, and a variety of environmental and non-environmental state and federal regulatory matters. He has advised some of the St. Louis region’s largest utility, energy, and manufacturing companies on state and federal permits, environmental liabilities, and litigation involving environmental and property matters. 

Ryan grew up in the Southern Illinois town of Nashville as the son of a wildlife biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. A post-college staff position in the Illinois State Senate, including work for the Senate’s Environment and Energy and Executive Committees, cemented Ryan’s interest in environmental law and public policy

Outside of his legal career, Ryan has served as an active member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis since 2010. In 2016, in recognition of his contributions to the organization’s Illinois Division — which covers Clinton, Monroe, Randolph, and St. Clair counties — the United Way tapped Ryan to lead the fundraising efforts of the entire Illinois Division. Under Ryan’s leadership, the campaign just celebrated raising more than $1.4 million. Ryan is also a member of the board of directors of the Greater St. Louis United Way and a member of the board’s public policy committee. He has also been involved with the St. Louis Regional Chamber’s Illinois Public Affairs Network since 2007. 

In October 2016, Ryan was appointed by O’Fallon, Illinois, Mayor Gary Graham to the City’s nine-member Planning Commission, which makes recommendations to the City Council for the future development of the community of 28,000, one of the fastest-growing areas of the St. Louis region.