Courtney graduated from USC Gould School of Law in 2002 and started her California legal career in the litigation department of the renowned international law firm, Arnold & Porter LLP.
Courtney worked her way through the ranks of Arnold & Porter’s Los Angeles offices to become a senior associate in the firm’s intellectual property group leading cases and managing others on complex matters for sophisticated clients, including Fortune 500 technology companies. In 2010, Ms. Stuart-Alban left Arnold & Porter to establish her own legal practice.
Among other work during this time, Ms. Stuart-Alban maintained an Of Counsel relationship with the prominent IP boutique firm Blakely Law Group, where she worked increasingly with her friend and colleague Brent Blakely, typically on cases that presented complex, novel issues, or were being heard on appeal. Notably, in 2011, Ms. Stuart Alban briefed and argued a matter before the Ninth Circuit, which resulted in a favorable and seminal opinion in the field of trademark law on the issue of competitive keyword advertising on the Internet. Network Automation, Inc. v. Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc., 638 F.3d 1137 (9th Cir. 2011) (cited in 187 published decisions and 124 other sources as of October 2016).
With Blakely, Stuart-Alban has continued to work on niche cases for high profile clients tackling a range of cutting-edge questions of intellectual property law, often with a particular focus on the application of established law to emerging technologies. See, e.g., Deckers Outdoor Corporation v. Sears Holdings Corporation et al (CD Cal., Case No. Case No. 2:12-cv-08723); Poquito Mas Licensing Corp. v. Taco Bell Corp., CV13-1933 (C.D. Cal. 2013); Spy Optic Inc. v. Alibaba.com Inc. et al (CD Cal. Case No. 2:15-cv-00659); Panam USA LLC et al v. Pan American World Airways Inc. et al (CD Cal. Case No. 2:15-cv-01580).
In addition to IP law, Courtney has deep experience in a broad array of general business litigation, including claims involving fraud, breach of contract, unfair competition, wrongful termination, bad faith denial of insurance, First Amendment claims, anti-SLAPP law, consumer remedies, partnership law, noncompete agreements, employment law, false advertising, premises liability, and personal injury, among others. Courtney has successfully litigated in virtually every state and federal forum available in California, including the California Court of Appeals, each of the federal district courts, bankruptcy court, and the Ninth Circuit. She has also prevailed in claims before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the World Intellectual Property Organization.