Courtney Linton

(Brisbane based)

Courtney is an Associate in our Commercial Litigation and Schools & Not-Profit Teams. She graduated from Griffith University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and the Griffith University Medal for Academic Excellence.

Her core focus is commercial litigation, specialising in assisting non-state schools and charities navigate and respond to legal pitfalls across a variety of jurisdictions

Courtney has practical experience in corporate and governance disputes (fraud, statutory and fiduciary duties, structure, regulatory compliance), discrimination, privacy and contractual disputes, and regularly engages with various government regulators (NSSAB, OAIC etc.) on behalf of her clients.

Having practised in our Charity and Commercial Law Team in her early years, Courtney is well-versed in the intricacies of different corporate structures (incorporated associations, public companies limited by guarantee, proprietary companies, trusts) and recognises the implications of same in approaching litigation.

For her Honour’s Thesis, in which she was awarded a High Distinction, Courtney examined how hate speech on social media platforms (“SMPs”) can be most effectively regulated in Australia. Balancing the right to public discourse as an indispensable condition of democracy with the inviolable right to human dignity and equality, her thesis critically analysed the regulatory approach adopted by Australia, Germany and the United States, in addition to the Terms of Service of SMP intermediaries to govern user behaviour in their digital territory.

Courtney’s key roles and responsibilities include:

• Conducting & advancing litigation proceedings including:
  • Preparation and filing of relevant pleadings, including originating Claims & Statements of Claim, NOITD and Defences, Counter-claims and Reply and Answers;
  • Preparation & filing of materials relevant to requests for Default Judgment;
  • Preparation & filing of materials relevant to commencement and advancement of enforcement proceedings;
  • Taking Witness Statements;
  • Briefing Counsel, Expert Witnesses and Mediators; and
  • Preparation & filing of other legal documentation including Affidavits, Lists of Documents, Trial Bundles, Orders, Applications and List of Authorities;
• Negotiating & perfecting “without prejudice” settlements and resolutions out of court in commercial contexts;
• Drafting correspondences of demand & other relevant procedural correspondences (i.e. Payment Plan Letters, Notices to Remedy Breach); and
• Ensuring strict compliance with relevant UCPR provisions to progress proceedings in a timely and cost-effective manner.