San Francisco
As Deputy Chair of our Corporate Business unit, Amanda uses her legal experience, business acumen, professional network and industry knowledge to resolve anticipated and unforeseen obstacles and developments. She advises at material stages of the corporate life cycle (formation, financings, and exits, including SPACs, direct listings and IPOs); and provides guidance and trusted governance advice on board, advisor, employment, separation, and other commercial matters. To further help companies thrive, Amanda keeps clients informed about recent developments in their space and helps connect entrepreneurs and investors with one another.
Amanda started her post-undergraduate professional career in West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer – a place where she got to deploy her French and Arabic language skills. Though the focus of her service was health education and community development, she also spent time in a village with Liberian refugees who were interested in implementing windmill technology. Her time in the Peace Corps remains a foundational experience for how she approaches her work today — as she continues to be inspired by the impact of technology and those who are tenacious in solving problems.
Now, Amanda works with companies and entrepreneurs in a number of industries including financial services, food and agriculture, mobility and energy infrastructure, clean tech, and health and professional services.
A portion of her work is also in representing certain investors and venture funds in their investments.
In addition to her practice, Amanda also dedicates time to advancing women in leadership in the U.S. and abroad. She has served as a cultural and professional resource for emerging women leaders from the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa through Tech Women, a U.S. State Department initiative dedicated to empowering women technology leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and has served on the Board of CodeChix, a non-profit corporation which recruits, retains and inspires women engineers.
True to her professional roots in Peace Corps service, Amanda remains actively committed to advancing global economic development. As a member of Orrick’s Impact Finance and Investment group, she supports investors and entrepreneurs who make social and environmental impacts alongside financial returns.
Prior to joining Orrick, Amanda was a corporate associate at the Menlo Park, California office of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP.