Long before she stepped into a courtroom as a trial lawyer, Linda Knight was fascinated by the legal world.
Family road trips often included stops in Washington, D.C., and by high school, she was competing in the American Mock Trial Association’s national tournament.
Now at Spence Fane LLP, Knight is a nationally recognized trial lawyer trusted with high-stakes insurance litigation involving catastrophic loss, coverage disputes and bad-faith claims. She recently secured a complete defense verdict in a breach of contract and bad faith commercial property dispute in a jury trial in Colorado U.S. District Court and obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial in the same court arising from claims under the Colorado Ski Liability Act.
Despite the stakes, Knight said one of the most rewarding aspects of litigation is “the constant learning.” She explained, “Every case I have, I’m learning something different. If it’s a products liability case, I’m learning about the product. If it’s a property case, I’m learning about building systems. If it’s a transportation case, I’m learning how 18-wheelers work. It’s a constant learning experience, and it’s never boring.”
Along with the intellectual challenge, mentorship has significantly shaped Knight’s career. Early on, all her mentors and sponsors were men — a reflection, she said, of both the time and the spaces she worked in.
Even as she is grateful for the “incredible attorneys” who have guided her, she has committed to supporting other women in the profession. Knight chairs Spencer Fane’s firmwide Women ADVOCATE group, which brings together women attorneys and professional staff across the firm’s offices to foster mentorship, professional development and business growth. She understands the unique challenges women can face in law, as she went to trial in district court one week after returning from maternity leave.
In 2024, she helped lead the firm’s first EmpowerHER conference, an event that welcomed attorneys, clients and business leaders to discuss leadership and career advancement.
Knight served as chair of the Diversity Committee for the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, is a fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and is active with the Colorado Bar Association’s Insurance Committee. She has been recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers.