Courtney Worcester
Courtney Worcester is of counsel with Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Boston office. She is a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group.
Ms. Worcester represents clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters, with a particular emphasis on corporate governance and shareholder litigation, including related federal securities law issues. She has experience defending companies, financial institutions and individuals in securities and consumer class actions. In addition, she has represented clients in diverse litigation matters ranging from contractual disputes to the protection of trade secrets and other business torts.
The following matters are representative of Ms. Worcester’s practice. She has:
- representation of venture capital funds and general partner in defense of action brought in the Delaware Court of Chancery by former stockholder asserting purported breach of fiduciary duty claims in connection with exercise of rights of first refusal
- represented special litigation committee of board of directors of publicly traded wireless telecommunications firm in investigation of historical stock option-granting practices and responses to stockholder demands and federal and state-court derivative litigation asserting state law claims for breach of fiduciary duty and federal securities claims
- represented general partners of venture capital funds, as directors of venture-backed incubator, in defense of action brought by former preferred stockholder asserting purported breach of fiduciary duty claims in connection with corporate dissolution and winding-up
- represented venture capital funds, as majority stockholders, in privately held military electronics firm, in defense of action by minority stockholders asserting purported breach of fiduciary duty claims against directors and majority stockholders in connection with stock repurchase and recapitalization
- represented national retailer in litigation involving misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of non-competition agreements
- represented publicly traded, development-stage biopharmaceutical firm in defense of action brought by competitor asserting purported misappropriation of trade secrets and other business torts
- won dismissal of breach of fiduciary duty claims and deceptive business practices against an investment advisor, and obtained affirmance of that dismissal in the State of New York, Supreme Court, Appellate Division
- defended national bank against several class actions asserting violations of various states’ consumer protection acts and the Truth-in-Lending Act
- represented consumer product manufacturer in consumer protection and breach of warranty class action
- successfully defended company and individuals against imposition of temporary restraining order to prohibit use of company’s domain name
- represented chief operating officer of public company against revenue recognition claims in securities class action, SEC and criminal investigations
- obtained reversal of convictions of larceny and assault by means of a dangerous weapon based upon ineffective assistance of counsel, Commonwealth v. Vickers, 708 N.E. 2d 575 (Mass. Ct. App. 2003)
- obtained reversal of conviction of possession of stolen vehicle for insufficient evidence, Commonwealth v. Campbell, 800 N.E. 2d 1055 (Mass. Ct. App. 2003).
Ms. Worcester’s publications include:
- “Top Five Risk Management Tips for Venture Capitalists” (co-author), Reuters Venture Capital Journal (January 2010)
- “A Boardroom Checklist” (co-author), The Corporate Board (September 2009)
- “Ask the Litigator” (co-author), The Deal (January 9, 2009).
Before joining Pepper in 2008, Ms. Worcester was an associate with the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, the Manchester, New Hampshire, office of Nixon Peabody LLP, and the Boston firm of Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, where she focused on securities litigation and complex commercial litigation.
Ms. Worcester is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, before the U.S. District Courts in each of those states, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Education
A.B. 1996, cum laude, Bowdoin College
J.D. 1999, cum laude, Boston University School of Law; administrative editor, Boston University Law Review; member, National Moot Court Team
Clerkships
1999-2000 Law Clerk to Justice W. Stephen Thayer, III and Justice Linda S. Dalianis, New Hampshire Supreme Court
Bar Admissions
Admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire
