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Overview

Amanda helps clients negotiate and finalize sophisticated commercial contracts—especially those that require a new strategy or a different framework.

Amanda’s primary focus is commercial contracting, generally for agreements worth tens of millions of dollars in goods or services. Many of her contracts involve essential company functions or critical supplies, and they can often be as transformational as major mergers and acquisitions. Amanda has assisted clients with a wide variety of service contracts, supply agreements, and manufacturing contracts, including those that establish the sourcing of raw materials, the sale and purchase of chemicals, white label and cobranding agreements, and exclusivity provisions. She works with clients of all sizes, ranging from solely-owned enterprises to Fortune 100 companies and other major corporations.

Best known for creating unique contracts that address novel situations, Amanda especially enjoys helping clients work out the details of new relationships and plans. She loves negotiating contracts that have no template or precedent, and she regularly supports clients as they form ongoing strategic relationships with new business partners.

In addition to her commercial contracting work, Amanda is one of a small population of U.S. attorneys involved in major aircraft acquisitions. She has handled billion-dollar purchasing transactions of large aircraft for major commercial airlines and has served as special counsel in providing lex situs options for foreign lenders in connection with aircraft acquisition, disposition, and financing transactions. Amanda also negotiates routine commercial contracts for major commercial airlines, and aviation clients seek her advice on regulatory matters with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). She is the only attorney at the firm to have assisted a client in obtaining a DOT Certificate of Authorization, which allows aircraft charter companies to operate large aircraft as part of their charter operations.

Amanda has a reputation for her practical thinking, and she aims to draft contracts that not only work legally but also make sense in practical business terms. Throughout her career, she has been seconded to various manufacturing clients—an experience that has made her sharply aware of the day-to-day business realities that make or break commercial contracts. Amanda also understands the long-term relationships these contracts often establish, and she works closely with clients to ensure that the terms of an agreement set organizations up for lasting success with their business partners.

Industries

Services

Education

  • J.D., University of Missouri School of Law
    • Journal of Dispute Resolution, Associate Member; Layout and Design Editor
  • B.S., Missouri State University
    • summa cum laude

Admissions

  • Missouri

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Bar Association
  • The Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association
Experience

General Commercial Contracts

  • Served as outside general counsel for major maintenance, repair and overhaul facility for large aircraft engines.
  • Managed large books of procurement work for Fortune 500 company.
  • Negotiated multimillion-dollar employee uniform sourcing agreement for Fortune 100 company.
  • Represented manufacturers in sale of chemicals contracts.
  • Handled white label agreements and cobranding agreements.
  • Represented company in negotiation for a long-term agreement to print promotional materials.
  • Amid COVID-19 pandemic, assisted New York City–based startup in drafting buy- and sell-side agreements to source and import to the United States much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators.

Aircraft Acquisition and Disposition

  • Represented major commercial airline in the negotiation of purchase agreements for 85 of Airbus's A321neo family aircraft and 85 of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft, co-leading aircraft transactions.
  • Represented airline in firm order of 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, plus options, and restructuring of existing purchase and other agreements regarding Boeing 787, 737NG and 777 aircraft and associated engines.
  • Served as co-counsel for commercial airline in connection with largest aircraft order in history (935 firm and option aircraft), including classic and new engine aircraft.
  • Served as counsel for commercial airline in engine selection campaigns for Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
  • Advised commercial airline on multiple used aircraft dispositions.
  • Served as special counsel in providing lex situs opinions for foreign lenders in connection with U.S. deliveries of new and used aircraft.

Other Aviation Work

  • Obtained Department of Transportation Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which allows aircraft charter companies to operate large aircraft as part of their charter operations.
  • Obtained exemptions from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Section 333 of FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to allow for commercial use of UAS.

Secondments

  • Provided outside general counsel services for major business aviation maintenance and overhaul facility, including negotiation of completion agreements for large VIP aircraft.
  • Served as temporary in-house commercial counsel for large multinational privately held company.

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Represented client in acquisition of new automotive dealership, which involved organization of new buyer affiliated entity for purposes of acquisition; acquisition of underlying real property; acquisition of dealership furniture, fixtures, equipment, and new and used vehicle inventories; coordination and support in regard to new OEM dealer approval required for purchasing entity; coordination of buyer's floor-plan financing and settlement of seller's existing floor plan; and coordination and support in connection with financing for purchase of real property and operating capital loan for new business.
Outside the Office

Amanda spends her free time with her husband and two young sons. They enjoy going to the lake and camping on the weekends.

Innovate Team

As the liaison for the firm's Innovate Team in the Springfield market, Amanda is an on-the-ground legal resource for startups and entrepreneurs.

The Innovate Team helps new businesses accelerate the development and commercialization of their research, technologies and ideas. Amanda provides educational programs, such as “lunch and learn” events, and is involved in the accelerator program, mostly on a consulting basis. She talks with business owners about basics such as contracts, how to engage an attorney and what to expect from a professional service provider.