Profile
Courtney M. Keller, Administrative Shareholder of the Orlando office and Co-Chair of the Orlando Litigation Group, focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation. She is experienced representing financial institutions, secured creditors and business entities and their representatives in cases involving real estate transactions, business disputes, consumer and commercial banking matters, intellectual property matters and others. Her wide-ranging skills also include generally handling all facets of commercial cases prior to trial, at trial and on appeal, in cases pending in state and federal trial and appellate courts.
Concentrations
- Complex commercial litigation
- Real estate litigation
- Banking litigation
- Real estate ownership and development
- Business litigation
- Creditors' rights and lender liability
- Contract disputes
- Employment and non-competition litigation
- Intellectual property and trade secret litigation
Capabilities
Experience
- Following a week-long trial, obtained a multimillion-dollar judgment for client and removal of client’s business partner from control of companies in connection with a dispute between business partners alleging breach of fiduciary duties and other business misconduct.
- Obtained settlement for manufacturer of military aircraft components in dispute against subcontractor involving the unauthorized manipulation of helicopter assemblies.
- Defended big-box retailer against federal and state antitrust claims.
- Defended insurance carrier by obtaining pretrial summary judgment dismissal of multimillion-dollar claim arising from tort judgment obtained against insured, and defended judgment on appeal before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Florida Supreme Court.
- Obtained pretrial summary judgment for major consumer products company facing multimillion-dollar damages claims arising from allegations of tortious interference, violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, conspiracy and breach of contract, and defended judgment on appeal before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented aircraft financing company in numerous contractual disputes and replevin actions.
- Represented publicly traded technology company by obtaining strategic and controversial transfer of action from Florida state court to Delaware federal court.
- Represented major oil company in enforcing contractual claims against distributors by obtaining judgments on dispositive motions.
- Handled appeals before the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth District Courts of Appeal, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal and Florida Supreme Court.
- Obtained zero liability summary judgment on eve of trial for international banking institution in defense of alleged fraudulent investment scheme where plaintiff was claiming over $200 million in damages against bank, and defended judgment on appeal before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of institutional bondholder on defaulting landowner’s equitable and contractual claims, and defended judgment on appeal before the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
- Represents bondholders, municipalities and financial institutions serving as commercial trustees in prosecution and defense of claims involving public finance litigation, including contract, tort and statutory liabilities.
- Represents major financial institutions in enforcing their rights as secured creditors in multimillion-dollar transactions, and defending claims of lender liability.
- Represented multiple clients in pursuit of trademark and copyright claims.
- Represented travel provider in protecting its trade secrets and defending against fraud, conspiracy and other tort claims by quickly obtaining dismissal of such claims with prejudice.
- Represented aerospace contractor in claims against former employee for violation of non-compete and theft of trade secrets and sensitive military defense information.
- Represented educational institution in enforcing and defending employment-related claims, and obtained ruling after contested evidentiary hearing on motion to enforce settlement agreement.
- Chief Law Clerk, Feirich Mager Green Ryan
- Judicial Extern, Hon. J. Phil Gilbert, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2024
- Team Member, U.S. News – Best Lawyers, "Law Firm of the Year: Litigation - Real Estate," 2022
- Recipient, Orlando Business Journal, "Women Who Mean Business Award," 2022
- Recipient, CREW Orlando “President’s Award,” 2022
- Recipient, CREW Orlando “Economic and Community Involvement Award,” 2022
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Florida Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2019-2020
- Selected, Orlando Business Journal, “40 Under 40,” 2018
- Recipient of Woman to Watch award from the Orlando Business Journal’s 2017 Women Who Mean Business awards
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Banking & Finance - Litigation, 2017
- Graduate, Leadership Orlando Class 89
- Member, Downtown Orlando Partnership Board
- Member, Arkansas Bar Association
- Member, Orange County Bar Association
- Member, The Florida Bar
- Member, Federal Bar Association
- Member, Commercial Real Estate Women's Network – Orlando (CREW Orlando)
- Secretary, CREW Orlando, 2023
- Board Member, CREW Orlando, Central Florida Real Estate Women
- Former Director, Community Outreach Committee
- Former Director, Sponsorship Committee
- Former Director, UCREW Committee
- Barrister, George C. Young American Inn of Court
- Board Member, Orlando City Soccer Foundation
Credentials
Education
- Certificate, Orientation to Board Service, Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at Rollins College, 2015
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J.D., magna cum laude, Southern Illinois University School of Law
- Assistant Commentary Editor, Journal of Legal Medicine
- Research Assistant
- Recipient, Dean's List Scholarship, Lowell H. Jacobson Scholarship, Women's Bar Foundation Scholarship, David C. Johnson Scholarship, SIU School of Law Merit Scholarship and SIU Law School Award for Academic Excellence
- Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
- Member, Phi Alpha Delta
- Pupil, Southern Illinois Inn of Court
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B.A., Administration of Justice, with honors, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Spanish Minor
- Member, Alpha Phi Sigma
- Member, Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society
Admissions
- Florida
- Arkansas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas