Darron Knutson has extensive experience representing individuals and corporations in the resolution of business and commercial disputes. He has tried cases and argued appeals involving a wide variety of civil matters in both state and federal courts. He has also represented clients in arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution processes, and in administrative hearings and appeals.

Mr. Knutson has litigated matters involving securities fraud; commodities futures trading; corporate control and shareholder disputes; corporate directors and officers liability and liability insurance; franchising and distributorship agreements; antitrust and trade regulation; Indian tribal gaming; class actions; commercial products liability; patent, copyright, and trademark infringement; trade secrets and unfair competition; financial institutions regulation; bankruptcy and creditors' remedies; negotiable instruments, checks, and the check clearing process; age, race, sex, and disability discrimination, whistleblower, wrongful discharge, and other employment disputes; and defamation.

Mr. Knutson received his B.A. summa cum laude in 1973 from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and his J.D. cum laude in 1976 from Harvard Law School, where he served as an Editor and Senior Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Following law school, Mr. Knutson served a one-year clerkship for the Honorable Myron H. Bright, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then joined the Minneapolis law firm of Dorsey, Windhorst, Hannaford, Whitney & Halladay (now Dorsey & Whitney). In 1980, he joined Winthrop & Weinstine, becoming a partner in 1984. In 2001, Mr. Knutson left Winthrop & Weinstine to become Of Counsel to the St. Paul law firm Larson • King, LLP. Mr. Knutson returned to Minneapolis in 2003 to establish a solo practice concentrating on commercial litigation, which he pursued until joining Briol & Associates in June 2007.

Education

Harvard Law School

J.D., cum laude, 1976

Editor 1974-75 and Senior Editor 1975-76, Harvard Law Review.

Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

B.A., summa cum laude, 1973

National Merit Scholar

Bar and Court Admissions

Minnesota Supreme Court

United States Supreme Court

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

United States Tax Court

United States District Court – District of Minnesota

United States District Court – Western District of Wisconsin

United States District Court – District of South Dakota

Reported Cases

Adam-Mellang v. Apartment Search, Inc. , 96 F.3d 297 (8 th Cir. 1996).

Wessels, Arnold & Henderson v. National Medical Waste, Inc., 65 F.3d 1427 (8 th Cir. 1995).

Inter-City Gas Corp. v. Boise Cascade Corp ., 845 F.2d 184 (8 th Cir. 1988).

McDonald v. Northwest Airlines, Inc. , 630 F.2d 648 (8 th Cir. 1980).

State of North Dakota v. Merchants Nat. Bank and Trust Co. , 634 F.2d 368 (8 th Cir. 1980).

First National Bank of Aberdeen v. Aberdeen National Bank , 634 F.2d 843 (8 th Cir. 1980).

Nye v. Blyth Eastman Dillon & Co., Inc. , 588 F.2d 1189 (8 th Cir. 1978).

Minnesota Mining and Mfg. Co. v. Rauh Rubber, Inc. , 943 F.Supp. 1117 (D. Minn. 1996).

In re Bulk Popcorn Antitrust Litigation , 792 F.Supp. 650 (D. Minn. 1992), 783 F.Supp. 1194 (D. Minn. 1991).

Rivkin v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue , T.C. Memo 1988-255 (U.S. Tax Court 1988).

State ex rel. Hatch v. Employers Ins. of Wausau , 644 N.W.2d 820 (Minn. App. 2002).

Wells v. First American Bank West , 598 N.W.2d 834 (N.D. 1999).

Stahl v. McGenty , 486 N.W.2d 157 (Minn. App. 1992).

Petrich by Lee v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. , 427 N.W.2d 244 (Minn. 1988).

Hurley v. TCF Banking and Savings, F.A. , 414 N.W.2d 584 (Minn. App. 1987).

Matter of Minnesota Joint Underwriting Ass'n , 410 N.W.2d 436 (Minn. App. 1987).

National City Bank v. Coopers & Lybrand , 409 N.W.2d 862 (Minn. App. 1987).

Sprangers v. Interactive Technologies, Inc. , 394 N.W.2d 498 (Minn. App. 1986).

Town & Country State Bank v. First State Bank of St. Paul , 358 N.W.2d 387 (Minn. 1984).

Blackburn v. Doubleday Broadcasting Co., Inc. , 353 N.W.2d 550 (Minn. 1984).

Sigler v. First American Nat. Bank of St. Cloud , 325 N.W.2d 136 (Minn. 1982).