Kent Knickmeyer

Kent has spent much of his career representing financial services clients of the Firm, particularly securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, investment companies and their trustees, futures commission merchants and their introducing brokers and associated persons, banks and other financial institutions.

He also has represented issuers of publicly traded securities and their officers and directors in litigation resulting from contested take-overs, their financial reporting and management of their businesses. His practice includes litigation in the state and federal trial and appellate courts and before administrative agencies. Kent has been named the Best Lawyers® 2016 St. Louis Litigation-Securities "Lawyer of the Year" (by BL Rankings).

A significant portion of his practice is in alternative dispute resolution, especially arbitrations conducted by the American Arbitration Association, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and other arbitral forums.  In addition to representing clients in the financial services industry, he regularly represents clients involved in disputes over business transactions, including international transactions.

Kent has extensive experience in developing innovative resolutions for his clients – specifically in the area of complex contractual disputes where the parties' rights, responsibilities and liabilities are not always obvious, and where controlling legal principles are obscure or ill-defined. He has tremendous insight into the securities industry from his many years representing brokerage firms, investment advisors and their representatives.

Publicly reported cases illustrative of his practice include:

Clayton Brokerage Co. of St. Louis, Inc. in cases culminating with the decision in Merrill Lynch v. Curran, 456 U.S. 353 (1982); Paine Webber, Incorporated in the trial and appeal of Police Retirement System of St. Louis v. Midwest Investment Advisory Services, Inc., 940 F.2d 361 (8th Cir. 1991); Home Savings of America in the trial and appellate phases of Resolution Trust Corporation v. Home Savings of America, 946 F.2d 93 (8th Cir. 1991); Defendants in the trial and appellate courts in the proceedings culminating in Acapolon Corp. v. Ralston Purina Co., 827 S.W.2d 189 (Mo. banc. 1992); Defendants in Nolte v. Wittmaier, 477 S.W.2d 52 (Mo. App. 1998)