Former Morris County prosecutor joins Sparta law firm
Sparta. Fred Knapp will lead Laddey, Clark & Ryan’s new alternate dispute resolution practice.

Fred Knapp, a former Morris County prosecutor, joins Laddey, Clark & Ryan in Sparta to lead the law firm’s new alternate dispute resolution practice, serving as a mediator, arbitrator and hearing officer.
He will also be active in the firm’s employment and labor law and government services practices, calling upon his 35-plus years of experience.
Building on his law enforcement and investigatory background, he will also conduct internal investigations.
Knapp retired from the Morris County prosecutor’s office on Nov. 1. He was appointed prosecutor by Gov. Chris Christie in June 2014, following confirmation by the New Jersey Senate.
He made narcotics enforcement a priority with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and spoke regularly on that topic. In 2017, Knapp was named “Prosecutor of the Year” by the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association. In 2020, the New Jersey Bias Crime Officers Association presented Knapp with their “Visionary Leadership Award.” Knapp was also one of 25 prosecutors selected nationally by the National District Attorneys’ Association to serve on the NDAA Opioid/Heroin Task Force to develop a national strategy to combat the epidemic. He also served as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Police Training Commission.
Previously, he served as acting Morris County prosecutor and assistant attorney general since December 2012. He previously chaired the labor and employment law practice at his own law firms for nearly 30 years.
Knapp had also served as a deputy attorney general for the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice from 1979 to 1983 in the Appellate, Trial and Casino Prosecution sections. In 1981, he was appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and was assigned by the Department of Justice to the Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force. In that capacity, he investigated and prosecuted organized crime and racketeering cases arising in Atlantic City and southern New Jersey.
Knapp also worked with the New Jersey State Police Intelligence Bureau and Atlantic City Special Investigations Bureau on Organized Crime Investigations, also originating in Atlantic and Camden Counties.
“We are very fortunate to have Fred join our team,” said Laddey, Clark & Ryan managing partner Thomas Ryan. “He brings with him most impressive credentials as a prosecutor and as a private practice attorney. His experience in employment and labor law in both the private and public sector, as well as his experience in government law, further expands the breadth of what we offer in each practice area. But above all, Fred has been a good friend of the firm for decades and we have always enjoyed working with him.”