Chuck Knapp focuses his practice on representing employers in employment-related litigation. He has been nationally recognized as a top employment litigator by Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA, and has been identified as among the top regional defense-side employment litigators by Minnesota Law & Politics, and Minnesota Lawyer.

Chuck has served as lead trial counsel in employment cases venued throughout the country in state and federal courts. His litigation experience has included the following:

• Trade secret, non-competition, business interference and CFAA claims;
• Wage and hour claims, including exempt/non-exempt classification and tip pooling claims;
• ERISA benefit and breach of fiduciary duty claims;
• Executive compensation disputes;
• Class action employment discrimination and breach of contract cases; and
• Discrimination, harassment, disability, retaliation, and leave claims.

Chuck has litigated cases in federal and state district courts throughout the country, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. He also has successfully briefed and/or argued petitions for certiorari and appeals before the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits and the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Chuck's experience as lead litigation counsel includes the following:

• Defense judgment following trial of class action vacation pay dispute involving class of approximately 300 employees who sought damages in excess of $1 million.
• Lead trial counsel in trade secret lawsuit venued in Delaware Chancery Court in which client secured over $35 million damages judgment and court ordered ten-year permanent "production injunction."
• Lead trial counsel in noncompete matter litigated in both Maryland federal court and Texas state court and involving technical and business leader of manufacturing company who had accepted employment with competitor. Obtained TRO in Maryland and preliminary injunction in Texas.
• Lead counsel in class action FLSA matter venued in federal district court involving whether call center employees had been properly classified as exempt employees. Obtained early dismissal of ERISA and unjust enrichment claims in issue of first impression in District of Minnesota.
• Lead counsel in federal class action ERISA lawsuit venued in District of Arizona. Obtained summary judgment and successfully argued against appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Obtained temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in a number of noncompetition cases in Minnesota, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virginia.
• Obtained summary judgment in age discrimination and ERISA retaliation claims in District of Minnesota; affirmed by Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Obtained summary judgment on age discrimination, sexual harassment, battery, and other tort claims in Hennepin County court; affirmed by Minnesota Court of Appeals
• 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
• Co-counsel for national restaurant chain in class action tip pooling case.
• Served as trial counsel in an eight-week trial in the individual damages phase of the first federal class action harassment lawsuit.

Chuck's employment litigation experience also has given him the experience necessary to advise employers regarding a variety of workplace issues. His experience in this area has included: (1) development of non-competition, non-disclosure, non-solicitation and other employment agreements and strategies for clients in diverse industries; (2) implementation of company-wide wage/hour audit and development of strategies for issues identified therein for a Fortune 500 company; and (3) serving as interim in-house employment counsel for a national financial services company.

Honors

• Best Lawyers in America, Labor & Employment Law, 2001–12
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Labor & Employment 2007–11
• Top 40 Employment Lawyers, Minnesota Law & Politics
• Super Lawyers, Employment Litigation: Defense
• AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section Governing Council
• Minnesota State Bar Association, General Assembly

Presentations

• Special Wage-Hour Issues
  Minnesota CLE (2011)
• Strategic Discovery Practice
  Minnesota CLE (2010)
• Anatomy of a Wage/Hour Case
  Minnesota State Bar Association (2009)
• Introduction to the Fair Labor Standards Act
  United States District Court Judicial Clerk Seminar, District of Minnesota (2009)
• Advanced Trial Practice: Successfully Defending the Retaliation Case Minnesota CLE (2008)
• Telecommuting and Wage/Hour Disputes
  Stafford Publications (2008)
• Employee Personal Data, Are You Compliant?
  Minnesota CLE (2007 and 2008)
• Strategies for Defeating FLSA Collective Actions
  Strafford Publications (2007)
• Recurring Pitfalls in Drafting and Seeking Enforcement of Non-Compete Agreements
  Stafford Publications (2007)
• Harassment in the Workplace: It's Not Just About Sex Anymore
  Council on Education in Management (2005)
• Eight Lessons Learned from the Latest ADA and FMLA Developments
  Minnesota CLE (Faculty Chair) (2002)
• Privacy Rights in the Workplace: Five Hot-Button Issues
  Minnesota CLE (Faculty Chair) (2001)
• Danger in the Workplace - Analysis of the ADA's Direct Threat Defense
  Upper Midwest Employment Institute (2001)
• Growing Impact of FCRA in Employer Investigations and Hiring Practices
  Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (2000)

Legal Updates

• CFAA: Sharpened Sword or Extra Baggage?
  EmploymentLaw 360 (2009)
• A Primer on Noncompetition Agreements: Ten Questions You Should Answer
  MedTech Legal Update (2009)
• Disclosure of Employee Personal Data: What Are an Employer's Legal Obligations?
  World Data Protection Report Adviser, Expatriate Adviser, National Association of Church Business Administration (2006)
• Criminal Background Checks: Are You Complying with the Federal Fair Credit and Reporting Act?
  Trends (2003)
• Work at Home: OSHA's About Face on Home Offices
  Telework News (2000)