Overview

Maggie Knaust is a Shareholder in the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group.  An experienced attorney, Maggie handles cases for clients in a wide variety of business, real estate, and healthcare disputes.

Maggie enjoys getting to know her clients to understand what legal tools best serve their unique industry and business needs. She focuses on developing and implementing strategies tailored to her clients.  With extensive exposure to highly regulated industries and representing businesses of all sizes, she understands that there is no one-size-fits all approach for serving clients.

As a problem-solver, Maggie focuses not only on advocating for her clients, but advising and counseling them on how best to reach their ultimate goals. With a unique business background beyond practicing law, Maggie understands and appreciates the financial, time and emotional toll disputes take on businesses and the people that run them.

While in law school, Maggie earned her M.B.A. and held internships with a Federal Magistrate Judge and a Fortune 1000 company.

Whether it is pre-litigation or the middle of a lawsuit, Maggie’s focus is on providing legal services that are aligned with the business and personal goals of her clients.

Representative Matters

Commercial Litigation

  • Represented property owner in $14M real estate purchase option dispute.
  • Represented foreign investor in lawsuit regarding exclusive distribution agreement applying Sharia law principles in Saudi Arabia.
  • Represented commercial landlords in eviction actions.
  • Represented businesses and shareholders in contentious business divorces.
  • Represented businesses and employees in disputes regarding non-competition agreements violations and trade secret misappropriation.

Healthcare

  • Represented defendants in Qui Tam suit alleging violations of the False Claims Act.
  • Represented a pharmacy in connection with multi-state Department of Justice investigation.
  • Represented healthcare providers in medical staff disputes.
  • Represented healthcare providers in overpayment disputes and audits with private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Honors and Distinctions

  • Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Health Care, 2022-2023

Professional Involvement

  • The Florida Bar
  • St. Petersburg Bar Association
    • Law Practice Management, Chair
    • Law Practice Management, Co-Chair, June 2021 – 2022
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
    • Board of Governors
  • Embarc Collective Young Professionals, Board Member, 2022 – 2023
  • Girls, Inc. of Pinellas, Board of Directors, 2022
  • Leadership St. Pete, Class of 2016
    • Chair, Leadership St. Pete, Class of 2023
    • Chair-Elect, Executive and Planning Committee, Class of 2022
    • Planning Committee Member 2018, 2020 – Present
    • Community Engagement Chair, Class of 2021
  • Morean Arts Fundraising and Events Committee, 2019
  • Gulfcoast Legal Services, Board Member, 2016-2019

Thought Leadership