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 2,000+ domestic and foreign trademarks and copyrights.
  • Serves as primary counsel for Tilray Brands, Inc., a global leader in the cannabis industry, in connection with trademark and copyright planning, prosecution, and enforcement.
  • Serves 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.
  • Represents Great Clips, Inc. in connection with trademark enforcement, advertising clearance, and sweepstakes and promotion compliance.
  • Conducts trademark and advertising clearance for General Mills, Inc.
  • Conducts trademark clearance for Target Corporation.
  • Provides 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.
  • Manages commercial co-venture programs for Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
  • Advises on copyright prosecution, enforcement and defense for iMedia Brands, Inc., owner of Christopher & Banks® brand.
  • Manages copyright enforcement for The Village Company, owner of Mr. Bubbles® brand.
  • Advised on copyright prosecution, licensing, and enforcement for the Estate of a world-renowned musician and artist.
  • 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

Languages

Recognition

  • Ranked as a Leading Trademark Attorney, World Trademark Review 1000, 2023-2024

Civic & Professional

Professional Activities

  • International Trademark Association (INTA), Copyright Committee, 2024-present
  • International Trademark Association (INTA), Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, 2022-2023
  • Advertising Federation of Minnesota, Board of Directors, 2015-present
  • Cybaris®, an Intellectual Property Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, 2013-2014

News & Insights

Speaking Engagements

Legal Updates

Publications & Presentations

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

Co-Presenter, “Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2021,” Fredrikson & Byron webinar, April 1, 2021

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

Co-Presenter, “Trends, Opportunities & Traps: What’s New in the World of Advertising?” Fredrikson & Byron 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 & Byron 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 & Byron Advertising Law Seminar, February 27, 2018

Co-Presenter, “Fake vs. Real: Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies to Protect Your Brand,” Fredrikson & Byron Anti-Counterfeiting 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 & Byron Event, April 13, 2017

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

Presenter, “Wolves at the Door: National and Local Efforts to Tax Advertising,” AdFed and Fredrikson & Byron Panel, June 2016

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

Presenter, “Effective US Trademark Searches,” SURGE, 2016

“At the Crossroads of Intellectual Property and Government Contracting: Case Studies and Practical Pointers,” co-authored with Theodore M. Thompson, 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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