Courtney A. H. Thompson

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.

• 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.

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

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

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