MADEL PA
THOMAS J. KNECHT
Thomas Knecht represents businesses and entrepreneurs involved in commercial litigation. His clients range from large companies and household names to small businesses and local sole proprietors. Thomas also has experience in investigations—defending clients while in private practice and pursuing targets while in government service.
Before joining MADEL PA, Thomas was the Oversight & Investigations Counsel for a committee with the U.S. House of Representatives. He led investigations of executive agencies to combat waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the federal government. Additionally, Thomas investigated the manipulation and misuse of nonprofits by foreign interests seeking to influence U.S. policy decisions.
Previously, Thomas was in private practice where he worked predominantly on business, real estate, and shareholder rights litigation. In doing so, Thomas developed first-chair trial experience and considerable experience taking depositions, arguing dispositive motions, and leading mediations. Additionally, Thomas represented a variety of clients in state, federal, and internal investigations. Thomas has also advised nonprofits and political campaigns on legal, fundraising, and public policy issues.
In law school, Thomas participated in the Securities Law Clinic and the State Attorney General Practicum. He also interned with the Special Prosecutions Unit of a county attorney’s office where he assisted the prosecution of white-collar crime, economic fraud, computer crimes, and related offenses.
Thomas grew up on a small farm and worked for his father’s concrete foundation company throughout his early life. He enjoys reading, walking, and ice hockey.
Email: tknecht@madellaw.com
Phone: 612-400-9023
representative cases​
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Civil Litigation
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Represented Alpha News, Emmy-award-winning Liz Collin, JC Chaix, and related company against defamation lawsuit filed by second-in-command at the Minneapolis Police Department (“MPD”), Katie Blackwell. In the lawsuit, Blackwell claimed that defendants defamed her via the award-winning documentary, The Fall of Minneapolis, as well as Collin’s book, They’re Lying: The Media, The Left, and The Death of George Floyd.
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In the criminal trial against Derek Chauvin, Blackwell testified that the Minneapolis Police Department did not train officers to use a knee-on-neck restraint. Blackwell testified that she didn’t recognize Chauvin’s knee-on-neck restraint and that it was an “improvised position.” In her lawsuit, Blackwell claimed that Defendants made seven defamatory statements regarding her, including that Collin defamed Blackwell when Collin wrote that it "seemed" like Blackwell was lying during her testimony in the Chauvin trial.
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Collin’s book, They’re Lying, and her follow-up documentary, The Fall of Minneapolis, showed that the MPD did train officers to use a knee-on-neck restraint, including as part of the maximal restraint technique (MRT) process. Defendants provided numerous pictures of this training to the Court, and more importantly, Defendants provided sworn declarations from 34 MPD officers stating that the MPD trained officers to use knee-on-neck restraints, including as part of the MRT process. Of those, 14 officers declared that Blackwell committed perjury.
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On April 8, 2025, the Honorable Edward T. Wahl, in a thoroughly researched and meticulous opinion, dismissed Blackwell’s defamation lawsuit with prejudice. Among other things, the Court found “each of the three statements challenged by Blackwell are not actionable because (1) they accurately reflect the gist of the available record; (2) they are supported by MPD policies, training materials, and sworn officer declarations … .” (Order at page 35.)
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After the dismissal, Blackwell agreed to pay $75,000 in attorneys’ fees to Defendants. In addition, she signed a sworn declaration stating that everything in Hennepin County Judge Edward Wahl’s order dismissing her lawsuit was “accurate, true and correct.”
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First-chair trial counsel for a real estate investment company in a seller’s disclosure dispute.
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Counsel for plaintiffs, Minnesota farmers, who made nearly a half million-dollar investment in a fraudulent Central American tourism company. The case settled in mediation after Thomas deposed the lead defendant who, among other things, refused to explain the reason for previously undisclosed payments to local government officials from company funds.
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Represented minority shareholders—including public pension funds, alternative investment companies, and individual shareholders—in various corporate governance, breach of fiduciary duty, derivative, and class-action lawsuits. The disputed transactions ranged from six-figures to more than $10 billion.
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Represented several biotech companies in separate patent infringement and contract disputes.
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Investigations
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Investigated the improper influence of controlling shareholders in multiple corporate governance and minority-shareholder disputes.
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Conducted an internal investigation of an American software company after reports that the company failed to disclose material weaknesses in SEC filings.
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Represented individuals and companies involved in Department of Justice and state Attorney General investigations.
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PLEASE NOTE: All cases are different and past results do not predict future case outcomes.
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pro bono experience
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Represented indigent tenants in various eviction cases
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bar admissions
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Minnesota
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Massachusetts
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U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
education
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Cornell Law School
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Juris Doctor, 2017
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Senior Notes Editor—Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy
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London School of Economics
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M.S.c. in Economic History, 2013
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Dissertation: U.K. Economic Policymaking for Scotland, 1950-1979 (accepted with distinction)​
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University of Connecticut
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B.A., magna cum laude in Political Science and Economics, 2011
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Rockwood Q.P. Chin Scholarship for Excellence in Economics
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Honors Scholar in Political Science
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