Mary L. Knoblauch
Partner
Overview
Mary Knoblauch has built a reputation for providing clients with service-oriented, practical counsel and zealous representation across business and employment-related disputes—earned through more than two decades of dedicated work. Employers appreciate Mary's prompt counsel across a full range of employment and labor law issues. She is exceptionally adept at advising clients on matters involving discrimination laws, leave laws, drug testing, wage and hour law compliance, legal developments under the National Labor Relations Act, employment agreements, situations involving the discipline and discharge of an employee, and development of employee handbooks and personnel policies.
Mary is also a seasoned litigator with particular emphasis on non-competes, unfair competition, employment contract disputes, and employment discrimination. She works closely with her clients to strategize and reach their desired outcome. She is agile, responsive, and attuned to the concerns of clients spanning a broad range of industries, including medical device, healthcare, consumer goods, financial services, food processing, and manufacturing.
In addition to her work with clients, Mary serves as the chair of Maslon's Labor & Employment Group. She has also been selected for inclusion on the Minnesota Super Lawyers® list since 2003.
Experience
- Obtained a temporary restraining order for medical organizations preventing a former physician/executive from working for a competitor. The case later settled when the former executive agreed not to work for any of the largest competitors for two years, and returned all confidential information. The former executive also made a significant payment toward the litigation expenses the medical organizations had incurred.
- Successfully represented a medical device company and several of its sales representative employees against claims of misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference.
- Defended asset managers against claims of "corporate raiding," misappropriation of trade secrets, and violation of Lanham Act.
- Represented a manufacturing company in a lawsuit against a former employee for breach of non-compete and confidentiality agreement and successfully received a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction prohibiting ongoing violation of non-compete agreement and further misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information and favorable monetary judgement following trial.
- Obtained summary judgment for publicly-traded national bank against former employee's claims of violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower statute, a violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"), and a violation of Minnesota's wages statute.
- Obtained summary judgment for employer in federal district court on former employee's claim of disability discrimination.
- Obtained summary judgment for employer and individual supervisor on employee's claims of racial discrimination, racial and sexual harassment, aiding and abetting by supervisor, reprisal and retaliation, defamation, and negligent retention and supervision.
- Appeared on behalf of employer in one of the first Eighth Circuit appeals involving a claim under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Numerous successful defenses of employers in various settings: state court, federal court, arbitration, grievance proceedings and administrative proceedings.
- Advice and counsel to clients daily in need of practical approaches to working through workplace issues and disputes.
Honors
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Recognized on Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, 2003-2023 (Minnesota Super Lawyers® is a designation given to only 5% of Minnesota attorneys each year, based on a selection process that includes the recommendation of peers in the legal profession.)
Top Women Attorneys in Minnesota® list, 2012-2024 (The annual edition of the Top Women Attorneys in Minnesota list features attorneys selected for the previous year's Minnesota Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists.)
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2024
Recognized as a Top Lawyer, Minnesota Monthly, 2022 (The research for the Top Lawyers list, created by Professional Research Services, is based on an online peer-review survey sent to all attorneys in Minnesota.)
AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell®