Courtney has navigated high-stakes litigation and arbitration across the nation. She specializes in cases involving defamation, fraud, civil rights, the First Amendment, banking law, Ponzi schemes, contract disputes, intellectual property, fiduciary duty, and LLC disputes.
Her passion lies in crafting compelling narratives to secure victories for her clients. While based in Florida, she represents clients nationwide.
Career
Courtney began her career in BigLaw, before eventually starting her own law firm specializing in plaintiffs’ litigation matters, and ultimately joined Kelley | Uustal to continue her focus on plaintiff-side commercial cases.
Her track record speaks volumes: securing a federal jury award of $8.5 million for the creator of Baoli, a famous French nightclub, against an American investor trying to steal the trademark, and more recently, leading a nearly all-female litigation team to obtain a federal civil rights verdict of $63.5 million – including $47.6 million in punitive damages – for the emotional distress and reputational harm her clients suffered when a City of Miami Commissioner retaliated against them for exercising their First Amendment rights to oppose him.
Background
Hailing from Virginia and shaped by a small farm upbringing, Courtney holds degrees from the University of Virginia. She’s hailed as the “Most Effective Lawyer” by the Daily Business Review for triumphs like a complete trial victory on behalf of Verizon Wireless in a Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices case brought by the Florida Attorney General and has earned recognition from Florida Super Lawyers.
Notable Cases
Secured a confidential settlement in a defamation case against Harper Collins and Julie K. Brown, who authored Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story that forced the defendants to remove all references to her client from the book.
Obtained a $7.5 million settlement on behalf of Trans Continental Television Production, Inc. in a complex litigation against MTV Networks, Viacom International, Inc., Viacom Inc., Bad Boy Films, Inc. and Bad Boy Records, LLC involving novel issues of copyright law relating to the television franchise, Making the Band.
Trial counsel for Verizon Wireless, obtaining complete victory in a rare trial of a deceptive trade practices action brought by the Florida Attorney General’s Office seeking $20 million in damages and additional penalties against Verizon’s affiliate, Alltel Communications, Inc., relating to its alleged negative option practices in subscribing approximately 450,000 Florida customers to Alltel’s roadside assistance feature. State of Florida, Office of Attorney General v. Alltel Communications, Inc., Case No.06-2520 (Leon County Circuit Court).
Prevailed in a 28 U.S.C. § 1782 action over objections of subpoena targets in connection with obtaining discovery for use in a Colombian litigation over a multi-million dollar fraud relating to a salt mine project.
Represented performing artist Armando Christian Perez p/k/a Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack and their record labels in a successful First Amendment defense against the right of publicity action brought by actress Lindsay Lohan under New York law for the mention of her name on the hit song “Give Me Everything.”
Prevailed as lead counsel at AAA arbitration final hearing on an LLC-membership dispute concerning a $12 million shopping center in Broward County, Florida.
Prevailed at AAA arbitration final hearing on contractual dispute stemming from $25 million option to buy full-power television station in Puerto Rico.
Prevailed on summary judgment based on fair use doctrine in a copyright infringement action brought by author Noberto Fuentes.
Representation of an SEC-appointed receiver in a federal district court action involving a $1.2 billion family of hedge funds, including prosecution of insiders and offshore hedge fund administrators for claims derived from the fraudulent Ponzi scheme.
Defeated America-CV Network, LLC’s Emergency Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, which sought to enjoin Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.’s broadcast Ahora con Oscar Haza.
Represented Top Stop Music, Inc., and Top Stop Publishing, Inc., and its principle, Sergio George, in a lawsuit involving Prince Royce, which resulted in the dismissal of Prince Royce’s $5 million defamation claim.
Prevailed at the Third District Court of Appeal to affirm a Florida court’s jurisdiction over an Israeli media company for Internet torts directed at a Florida citizen.
Secured reversal of a magistrate judge to obtain Section 1782 discovery for use in a contemplated UK criminal action and obtained an order compelling the deposition of target of the criminal action to be held in the United States after he intervened to quash the 1782 discovery order.
