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Chuck Knapp focuses his practice on representing employers in employment-related litigation, and using his extensive experience in that area to counsel employers regarding a variety of workplace issues.
Litigation :
Chuck's litigation practice involves successfully defending employers against claims of unlawful termination, discrimination (sex, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc.), harassment, failure to accommodate, breach of contract, and retaliation. Chuck also represents employers in asserting trade secret, breach of contract and business interference claims. Chuck also has defended employers with respect to executive compensation disputes, and ERISA benefit and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Chuck has litigated cases in federal and state district courts throughout the country, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. He also has successfully briefed and/or argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Chuck serves as national or regional employment litigation counsel for a number of clients, including W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Some of Chuck's results as lead trial counsel include the following:
Obtained TRO in Maryland federal court and preliminary injunction in Texas state court in non-compete action involving technical and business leader who had accepted employment with competitor
Obtained dismissal of ERISA and unjust enrichment claims in federal wage and hour lawsuit. Maranda v. Group Health Plan, Inc., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41500 (D. Minn. 2008)
Obtained permanent injunctive relief and damages judgments of over $35 million in Delaware Chancery Court action for high technology manufacturing company on claims against former scientist and related parties for misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract and conversion. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Wu, et al., 2006 WL 2692584 (Del. Ch. Sept. 15, 2006)
Obtained dismissal of appeal of unemployment compensation denial on grounds that employee did not quit with good cause attributable to employer. Anderson v. Cargill, Inc., 2005 Minn. App. LEXIS 608 (Minn. Ct. App. 2005)
Obtained summary judgment in federal class action ERISA lawsuit venued in District of Arizona, and successfully argued against appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Johnson, et al. v. Buckley, 356 F.3d 1057 (9th Cir. 2004)
Obtained temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in a number of cases involving a former employee's breach of a noncompetition agreement, in Minnesota, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virgina
Obtained plaintiff's voluntary dismissal of sex discrimination and sexual harassment claims after procuring her admission to perjury in course of deposition
Obtained summary judgment in retaliation case on grounds that plaintiff's statement that she believed manager was having an affair with subordinate employee was not protected conduct. Suonvieri v. Talent Software, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14430 (D. Minn. 2003)
Obtained summary judgment in federal lawsuit alleging race discrimination, racial harassment and retaliation on grounds that manager's close supervision of plaintiff and isolated remarks by co-workers was not sufficient to state a claim of unlawful discrimination or harassment
Obtained dismissal of certain plaintiffs and claims, and favorably resolved remaining claims of other plaintiffs in complex, multi-plaintiff age and disability discrimination lawsuit arising out of reduction in force (or "RIF") in Maryland
Obtained preliminary injunctions on behalf of manufacturing company on claims of breach of non-compete agreements
Obtained dismissal of employment discrimination claim on grounds of failure to prosecute, and successfully argued against appeal before Minnesota Court of Appeals. Gudmundson v. MWCC, 1994 Minn. App. LEXIS 374 (Minn. Ct. App. 1994)
Additionally, Chuck served as a trial attorney in an eight-week trial in the individual damages phase of the first federal class action harassment lawsuit. Lois E. Jenson, et al., v. Eveleth Taconite Company, et al., U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17978, (D. Minn. Mar. 28, 1996) and 1996 U.S. Dist. 17617 (D. Minn. Nov. 8, 1996). |
