Amanda Hettinger is a highly experienced trial team leader for Fortune 500 companies facing class actions, multidistrict litigation (MDL), and other complex business disputes.
Amanda’s career is built on helping companies respond to consumer class actions, including in multi-district litigation settings. She has expertise across a variety of industries, and routinely defends clients in litigation across the country regarding state consumer practice acts, including the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and is also experienced in defending companies facing litigation arising out of data breaches. Amanda also has extensive experience handling complex commercial business disputes involving contract interpretation issues, tortious interference claims, and state franchise acts, particularly as they impact the food and beverage industry.
Proactively collaborating with in-house counsel, Amanda crafts litigation plans that consider not only how to successfully resolve high-value and high-stake litigation, but also the larger impacts litigation has on business practices, products, and reputations. She keenly understands that more than just the trial outcome is at stake. She knows it matters when she takes the time to understand how litigation strategies align with a company’s business model. Her approach also includes immersing herself in the industry at issue so that she connects with key internal stakeholders, from engineers to marketing/sales to business analysts, who may be affected by the litigation.
Amanda also represents public sector entities with constitutional issues regarding the scope of their powers, and she led the City of St. Louis’ high-profile victory regarding the $50 million overhaul of its firefighter pension program.
Finally, Amanda pays close attention to legal spend when directing litigation teams. She ensures efficiency, accuracy, and attention to detail across multi-disciplinary teams of attorneys, paralegals, technologists, and external vendors.
Amanda serves as co-chair of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group and co-chair of the Diversity Committee.
experience
- Represented a Fortune 20 company in complex multi-year litigation regarding municipal tax obligations.
- Represents a company defending multidistrict consumer class actions related to a data breach.
- Represents one of the country’s largest liquor distributors in high-profile franchise and competition disputes.
- Represents one of the world’s largest agricultural companies in a variety of matters ranging from defending consumer class actions in MDL settings to complex contractual disputes pending in arbitration and other tribunals.
Professional
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Litigation Section
- Missouri Bar Association
- Illinois Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Federal Practice Committee for the Eastern District of Missouri, Member
Community
- United Way of Greater St. Louis, Cabinet Member, Women’s Leadership Society, 2013-2021, Allocation Panel, 2006-2021
- Selected for inclusion in Focus St. Louis Leadership Class, 2023-2024
- U.S. District Court Eastern District Missouri, Trustee, Federal Practice Memorial Trust
- Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer, 2024