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Knaak, Frederick (Fritz)

Mr. Knaak has been practicing law for nearly 45 years in Minnesota and 30 in Wisconsin and Colorado. He is the head of Municipal and Real Estate Development Law with Northstar Law Group. Mr. Knaak has tried cases and argued appeals throughout the country in both State and Federal Courts. For nearly that whole period he has been a city attorney. Past clients include the Minnesota cities of Fridley, Maplewood, Lake Elmo, Newport and Afton. He is currently city attorney for Ramsey and Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and continues to represent private clients on a variety of matters. Mr. Knaak also has considerable experience in litigation involving title insurance claims and title insurance. He served ten years in the Minnesota Senate, representing a district in the northeastern suburbs of the Twin Cities. Mr. Knaak was Special Counsel to the Minnesota Secretary of State in redistricting litigation and was lead counsel on the Senator Norm Coleman election recount. He is a frequent commentator on Twin City news programs on political matters and is a frequent guest political panelist of the Twin Cities Public Television Almanac program. Mr. Knaak also regularly teaches in national seminars on municipal law and has published a number of essays and articles on various topics. His article “Using Development Agreements to Further Environmental Ends: A Case Study” will be published this summer in the ABA’s Probate and Real Property Section magazine. Mr. Knaak earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from John’s University, and his J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.