Overview

Courtney focuses her practice at the intersection of business transactions and intellectual property protection. She uses her expertise to collaborate with clients and enhance the value of their companies by providing comprehensive brand management advice and counseling.

Courtney oversees large domestic and international intellectual property portfolios. She assists clients with clearance, use, prosecution, maintenance, and related agreements, as well as enforcement and defense of trademarks, copyrights, and domain names through cease-and-desist letters, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices, proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and the Copyright Claims Board (CCB), Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings, and anti-counterfeiting programs. She also regularly collaborates with litigation teams to protect intellectual property rights. 

Courtney conducts due diligence evaluations for mergers and acquisitions, reviews and clears advertising, advises on sweepstakes and promotions, drafts talent and influencer agreements, and provides in-house training and strategy sessions for clients. Courtney also co-chairs the firm’s Anti-Counterfeiting Practice Group.

Services

Experience

  • Actively manages nearly 5,000+ domestic and foreign trademarks and copyrights.
  • Conducted trademark clearance for Target Corporation.
  • Conducted trademark and advertising clearance for General Mills, Inc.
  • Represented Great Clips, Inc. in connection with trademark enforcement, advertising clearance, and sweepstakes and promotion compliance.
  • Provided assistance to Hormel Corporation, owner of SKIPPY® brand, Planters® brand, Wholly® Guacamole brand, Jennie-O® brand, SPAM® brand, among other brands, on sweepstakes and promotion compliance.
  • Managed commercial co-venture programs for Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
  • Advised on copyright prosecution, enforcement and defense for iMedia Brands, Inc., owner of Christopher & Banks® brand.
  • Managed copyright enforcement for The Village Company, owner of Mr. Bubbles® brand.
  • Advised on copyright prosecution, licensing, and enforcement for the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson.
  • Served as primary counsel for Tilray Brands, Inc., a global leader in the cannabis industry, in connection with trademark and copyright planning, prosecution, and enforcement.
  • Served as primary counsel for Carba, Inc., a leading carbon capture company and Grand Prize winner of the MN Cup, in connection with trademark and copyright planning, prosecution, and enforcement.
  • Appealed to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and obtained reversal of ex parte United States Patent and Trademark Office refusal allowing for issuance of U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 6166040 (D’AVOCADO).
  • Served as lead counsel for Lakes Gas Co. v. Domain Administrator, DomainMarket.com, WIPO Case No. D2018-0540, allowing for the successful recovery of LakesGas.com.
  • Served as lead counsel for Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation v. My Way Betty Ford Klinik GmbH & Co. KG, WIPO Case No. D2019-2187, in an effort to stop infringement of the Hazelden Betty Ford brand.

Credentials

Education

  • Stanford University, Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Certificate, 2021
  • William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 2014, summa cum laude
  • University of Minnesota, B.A., 2011, magna cum laude, with distinction

Admissions

  • Minnesota, 2014

Recognition

  • Recommended Individual, Copyright 1000, United States: Minnesota, World Trademark Review & IAM, 2026
  • Ranked as a Leading Trademark Attorney, World Trademark Review 1000, 2023-2026

Civic & Professional

Professional Activities

  • Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA), Board of Directors, 2026-present
  • Advertising Federation of Minnesota, Board of Directors, 2015-present
  • International Trademark Association (INTA), Anti-Counterfeiting Committee & Copyright Committee, 2022-2026
  • Cybaris®, an Intellectual Property Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, 2013-2014

News & Insights

News

Speaking Engagements

Legal Updates

Publications & Presentations

Co-Presenter, Breaking Down the Current State of Trademark Functionality Law, American Bar Association, October 19, 2021

Author, "USPTO Launches Additional Programs for COVID-19-Related Trademark Applications," FredNews, May 24, 2021

Co-Author, "Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2021," FredNews, April 7, 2021

Co-Presenter, Advertising Law Trends to Watch in 2021, Fredrikson webinar, April 1, 2021

Author, "The Consolidated Appropriations Act Provides Significant Changes to Trademark and Copyright Laws," FredNews, March 17, 2021

Author, "Shipping Delays Can Cost Your Business More Than Just A Bad Review," FredNews, July 7, 2020

Author, "Advertising, Marketing & Trademark COVID-19 Update," FredNews, June 22, 2020

Co-Author, "USPTO Further Extends Certain Patent Filing Deadlines; Trademark Deadline Extension Expires May 31, 2020," FredNews, May 29, 2020

Co-Author, "USPTO Further Extends Certain Filing Deadlines," FredNews, May 4, 2020

Co-Presenter, Anti-Counterfeiting and Infringement Developments and Trends, Associated Corporate Counsel (ACC) Minnesota, February 11, 2021

Co-Presenter, The Top IP Business Issues Arising from the Pandemic, Midwest Intellectual Property Institute, October 1, 2020

Co-Presenter, 5 Things About 5 Things That Every Startup Should Know, Twin Cities Startup Week, September 10, 2020

Co-Author, “Coronavirus, Counterfeits & Cannabis: Protecting CBD Brands During a Pandemic," Cannabis Times, August 27, 2020

Author, "Shipping Delays Can Cost Your Business More Than Just A Bad Review," FredNews, July 7, 2020

Author, "Advertising, Marketing & Trademark COVID-19 Update," FredNews, June 22, 2020

Author, "COVID-19 Claims Can Get Your Brand into Hot Water with the FTC," FredNews, April 27, 2020

Author, "Copyright & Coronavirus: What You Need to Know," FredNews, April 15, 2020

Author, "USPTO Extends Filing Deadline," FredNews, April 6, 2020

Author, "Don’t Let Your Brand’s Goodwill Fall Victim to COVID-19 Scams," FredNews, April 6, 2020

Author, "The FTC Issues a New Disclosure Guide for Influencers," FredNews, December 2, 2019

Co-Presenter, Trends, Opportunities & Traps: What’s New in the World of Advertising?, Fredrikson program co-hosted with Ad Fed, August 1, 2019

Presenter, 5 Things About 5 Things That Every Start Up Should Know, Twin Cities Startup Week, October 8, 2018

Presenter, Attention Freelancers: The Legal Side of Being Your Own Boss, AIGA Minnesota’s Design Camp, October 5-7, 2018

Co-Presenter, What’s Trending in the World of Advertising Law?, Fredrikson program co-hosted with Ad Fed, September 13, 2018

Co-Presenter, 5 Things About 5 Things That Every Start Up Should Know, Beta.MN Lunch & Learn, August 23, 2018

Co-Presenter, #CanWeSayThat? AdLaw Answers from Industry Pros, Fredrikson seminar, February 27, 2018

Co-Presenter, Fake vs. Real: Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies to Protect Your Brand, Fredrikson seminar, November 30, 2017

Presenter, Copyrights: Registration, Ownership and Protection, AIGA Minnesota’s Design Camp, October 6-8, 2017

Moderator, Agency Valuation and M&A Cycles: The Unspoken Impact on the Business and its Employees, AdFed Program, July 27, 2017

Presenter, Ad Law 101: Troubleshooting Legal Issues in a Creative World, Fredrikson event, April 13, 2017

Author, "Copyright (and Fashion) Advice from the US Supreme Court," FredNews, March 27, 2017

Author, "Alibaba is Back on the United States Blacklist," FredNews, December 30, 2016

Author, "Operation Surge Protector: A U.S. Government Mission Against Dangerous Counterfeit Electronics," FredNews, December 22, 2016

Presenter, Copyright, Trademark, and Advertising Law: Your Questions, Answered, AIGA Minnesota’s Design Camp, October 7-9, 2016

Author, "Lead Generation: An Old Practice Under New Scrutiny by the FTC," FredNews, September 27, 2016

Presenter, Wolves at the Door: National and Local Efforts to Tax Advertising, AdFed and Fredrikson panel, June 2016

Author, "FTC Sues Volkswagen Over ‘Clean Diesel’ Advertising," FredNews, April 1, 2016

Author, "LifeLock to Pay $100 Million to Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Advertising," FredNews, March 2, 2016

Presenter, Advertising Hot Spots Swirling Around Online Sales, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2016

Presenter, Effective US Trademark Searches, SURGE, 2016

Co-Author with Theodore M. Thompson, “At the Crossroads of Intellectual Property and Government Contracting: Case Studies and Practical Pointers,” 7 Cybaris An Intell. Prop. Rev. 131, 2016

“Dark Knight’s Ride is Copyrightable,” Minnesota Lawyer, December 22, 2015

Presenter, Protecting & Promoting Inventions: Leveraging Trademarks, Copyrights, & Advertising, Inspire Innovation Expo, 2015

Presenter, Doing Business Online, SURGE, 2015

“Reverse Domain Name Hijacking and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy: Systematic Weaknesses, Strategies for the Respondent, and Proposed Policy Reforms,” 4 Cybaris An Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 191

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