Bio
Aaron Knights is a partner in Lippes Mathias’ Business & Commercial Litigation practice team, where he focuses primarily on complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters. For more than 20 years, Aaron has represented businesses, multinational companies, financial institutions, foreign governments, and high-net-worth individuals in high-stakes disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States, as well as in regulatory proceedings and private arbitrations.
Aaron handles a variety of commercial disputes, including partnership and shareholder disputes, shareholder oppression and derivative actions, failed business ventures, contractual indemnity disputes, trade secret and restrictive covenant matters, real estate transactions, and construction disputes. Aaron is an experienced litigator who brings a common-sense approach to dispute resolution that is tailored to each client’s specific goals.
Aaron also has significant experience handling cross-border disputes, having represented non-U.S. companies, individuals, and governments before U.S. courts in a variety of commercial and other matters, including in lawsuits brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Alien Tort Statute, as well as disputes over intellectual property, fraud, real estate transactions, and failed business ventures.
Before entering private practice, Aaron served as law clerk to the Honorable Rufus G. King, III, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Representative Matters
- Obtained a $1.2 million award plus attorney’s fees after a full arbitration hearing on behalf of an international professional services firm.
- Secured payment on behalf of a biotech company for $500,000, representing 100% of the client’s pre-suit demand.
- Defeated summary judgment in a high-profile lawsuit alleging fraud.
- Obtained a key summary judgment ruling piercing the corporate veil.
- Successfully defended an American Arbitration Association arbitration involving claims for $60 million.
- Obtained rare pre-hearing dismissal on a dispositive motion in an American Arbitration Association arbitration.
- Obtained dismissal with prejudice on a motion to dismiss filed in federal court, eliminating $1 million exposure on behalf of client.
- Helped defeat U.S. jurisdiction over a foreign government in a precedential decision interpreting the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018.
- In litigation arising out of the Second Intifada, helped obtain reversal of judgment in excess of $500 million against by establishing the absence of personal jurisdiction.
- Obtained reversal of a summary judgment ruling on appeal in a $30 million fraud case.
- Helped establish key appellate precedent confirming that a foreign government is entitled to due process protections.
