Scott G. Knudson

Scott is a partner in Taft’s Commercial Litigation and Appellate practices, with a concentration on environmental, transportation, and banking law and bond defaults and litigation. He also focuses on Native American law.

Scott is a former law clerk for the Hon. William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Hon. Edward A. Tamm of the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

• In re Petition for Instructions to Construe Basic Resolution 876 of the Port Authority of the City of Saint Paul
  Dispute between issuer of industrial development revenue bonds and holders of those bonds.
• Defended railroad following derailment, resulting in largest release of ammonia in U.S. history. Represented carrier in NTSB investigation, environmental enforcement actions and thousands of personal injury claims.
• Nixon v. Missouri Municipal League, 541 U.S. 125
  Amicus representation – telecommunications.
• Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land & Cattle Co., Inc.
  Amicus representation – tribal law.
• Responsible Governance for Roseville v. City of Roseville
  Defended challenge to bond issue.
• Numerous petitions for instructions brought on behalf of bank corporate trust department.
• Conducted statutory and regulatory analysis to assist in drafting contract regarding use of railroad tracks by state commuter trains.
• Defended railroad against dozens of personal injury and property damage claims arising out of fuel spillage, a multi-week trial ending in a defense verdict.
• Represented farmers and ranchers who were denied due process in the issuance of an order by a state agency denying them the exercise of their water rights to irrigate their crops and water their livestock.
• Represented a national retailer of music instruments with information technology needs in marketing, enterprise resource planning, big data analytics, inventory management, back office services and other services.
• Represented private school in matter concerning defamation and anonymous Internet speech.
• Represented long-distance company in state commission complaint proceeding against company not properly certificated by state commission.
• Represented a long-distance company in obtaining an injunction for a tribal court from adjudicating a Tribal Telephone Company’s collection action.
• Successful representation of trustee in a fee dispute. After trial by court, the Court of Appeals affirmed district court award of approximately $8 million in trustee fees.