Courtney J. Peterson
Courtney J. Peterson
Courtney J. Peterson
Biography
Courtney J. Peterson is a partner in the Litigation & Investigations Department. She focuses her practice on litigating and advising clients with respect to commercial disputes and employment matters. Courtney rigorously advocates for her clients and listens to clients to best address their business or personal needs. She is the calm within the storm and uses her pragmatism, persistence, and detail-oriented nature to provide results for her clients.
Courtney’s litigation practice includes complex contract matters as well as consumer litigation, representing clients facing claims of misleading labeling and false advertising with respect to household and food products. Courtney also has experience representing fiduciaries in complex trust and estate matters and defending against claims of breach of fiduciary duties.
Courtney’s employment practice includes assisting clients with workplace investigations; counseling clients on addressing allegations of workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; drafting employee handbooks; and litigating claims of employment discrimination and wage and hour violations. Tangential to Courtney’s employment and labor work, Courtney advises educational clients on addressing claims under and complying with Title IX.
Since the beginning of her career, Courtney made the valuable decision to become licensed in both New York and New Jersey; she is also admitted to practice in the federal courts of each state.
Courtney not only works hard for her clients but is passionate about being an active member of the firm and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. She is the co-chair of the firm’s Race Ethnicity Inclusion Network, formerly known as the Lawyers of Color Affinity Group, and she is an active member of the New York Office’s Recruiting Committee. She is also a member of the firm’s DEI Taskforce.
Civic Involvement & Honors
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Workplace Mentoring Program
- Legal Aid Society Juvenile Rights Division, Intern (2006)
- New York State Bar Association Mock Trial/Moot Court Program
- Volunteer Lawyer’s Association – Pro Bono Attorney
- KIND (Kids In Need of Defense) – Pro Bono Attorney
Professional Affiliations
- New York City Bar Association
- Recruiting Committee
Admissions
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New York, 2008
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New Jersey, 2007
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United States District Courts for the District of New Jersey and Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Education
New York University, J.D., 2007
Rutgers University, B.A., highest honors, 2004
Related Practice Areas
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Business & Commercial Disputes
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PFAS Team
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Banking & Finance Disputes
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Employment & Labor
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Investigations
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Regulation, Compliance & Advisory
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Fiduciary Disputes
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Enforcement
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Litigation
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Regulation
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Employment Class & Collective Actions
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Financial Services
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Cross-border Employment Issues
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Consumer Finance Disputes
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Securities Litigation and Enforcement
Experience
- Representation of international food manufacturer and brand owner against claims that products were misleadingly labeled and falsely advertised because food packaging contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, which allegedly migrated into food products. Successfully obtained plaintiff's pre-answer withdrawal of breach of warranty and negligent misrepresentation claims and pre-answer dismissal of public injunction request.
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Successfully negotiated resolution of individual plaintiff’s claims in the District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging employer, leading manufacturer of industrial and architectural acoustic sound control protocols, violated FLSA and Massachusetts wage and hour laws by failing to pay plaintiff and similarly situated employees the proper overtime wage and for all overtime hours worked.
- Representation of global leader in plant-based foods in various state litigations alleging products were falsely advertised or misleadingly labeled because representations on product labels did not comport with consumer expectations about product ingredients.
- Representation of international organization and market leader in home comfort products against claims that product was falsely advertised and misleadingly labeled in violation of New York General Business Law §§ 349 and 350 and other common law claims. Obtained pre-answer dismissal of plaintiff’s warranty, fraud and unjust enrichment claims.
- Represented employer in wage and hours litigation and settlement of class claims in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York.
- Represented employer in successfully compelling plaintiff to arbitrate individual claims and defeating plaintiff’s ability to bring class claims related to employee classification for purposes of overtime laws.
- Represented an employer in claim of employment discrimination based on grooming policies resulting in successful negotiation of resolution of dispute.
- Represented an employer in mediation of dispute involving claims of breach of contract, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage and retaliation under the New York City Human Rights Law.
- Argued appeal before Appellate Division, First Department seeking reversal of summary judgment order on complex business dispute involving claims of conversion and aiding and abetting conversion and breach of fiduciary duty.
- Represented commercial landlord in complex dispute with tenant involving injunctive relief, an action on individual guaranty, and two successful summary judgment motions resulting in more than $3 million judgment in favor of landlord.
- Represented publicly traded company in commercial real estate dispute before Supreme Court, New York County and Appellate Division, First Department, which concerned whether renewal right in lease violated the rule of perpetuities.
- Represented commercial banking client in bad faith hearing in New York State Court, and successful resolution of defendant’s claims that client acted in bad faith by failing to modify the terms of the parties’ contractual agreement.
- Represented daughter of decedent in Surrogate’s Court, New York County, with respect to challenge to probate of a will executed while decedent was in a nursing home on the grounds of undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity where the decedent, with an estate of over $80 million, disinherited daughter contrary to disposition in prior wills.
- Represented executor and leading charitable institution in ultimate settlement of claims by decedent’s cousin alleging lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence, where decedent left multi-million dollar residuary estate to charity.
- Represented trustee of testamentary trusts in Surrogate’s Court, New York County trial of objections to an accounting proceeding, resulting in a decision dismissing objections.
- Represented executor of estate in Surrogate’s Court, New York County trial of objections to an accounting proceeding.
Pro Bono
- Represented an immigrant mother who had lost custody of her children following her relocation to another state without court approval and, following a trial in New York state court, ultimately achieved a verdict awarding custody of children to mother.
- Represented an unaccompanied minor in seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and adjustment of status.
Resources
Publications
Co-author, “New York Amends the Definition of “Employer” Under the Human Rights Law and Expands Workplace Protections for Workers,” March 18, 2022
Co-author, “Mayor De Blasio’s Final Act to NYC Private Sector Workers: Get the Jab by December 27!” December 17, 2021
Co-author, “Back to Work: California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” September 8, 2020
Co-author, “Coronavirus Relief Bill: The Cares Act – Provisions Affecting U.S. Employers and Employees, Part I,” April 9, 2020
Co-author, “Coronavirus Relief Bill: The Cares Act – Provisions Affecting U.S. Employers and Employees, Part II
Speaking Engagements
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Speaker, BCLP Podium Program Ushers in New Generation of Women Leaders in Law,” May 2023
- "Webinar: Mansfield Rule Evolution - Is it working? Impacts & Developments including from the 2022 Rooney Rule NFL Litigation" Bank of America, Thursday, July 21, 2022
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