Professional Background

Amanda Yen is a Partner at McDonald Carano and focuses her practice primarily in Commercial & Complex Litigation and Appellate Law. She is recognized for her relentless approach to high-stakes litigation, utilizing her expansive knowledge of procedural issues, rules and experience in every aspect of litigation to her clients’ advantage in the courtroom. Ms. Yen’s extensive litigation experience includes her involvement as second chair on one of Nevada’s most complex construction and business litigation cases involving the largest privately funded construction project in the United States. Ms. Yen also regularly acts as local counsel for several national and international law firms in Nevada’s state and federal courts, and has acted as local counsel for multidistrict litigation involving complex products liability issues.

Before joining McDonald Carano, Ms. Yen was a judicial law clerk for the United States District Court where she wrote briefs, attended trials and prepared orders on all types of civil and criminal matters. While a clerk, she also prepared bench memoranda for and attended hearings at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Commercial & Complex Litigation

In the area of Commercial & Complex Litigation, Ms. Yen has handled cases in both federal and state courts. As a former federal law clerk, she is particularly skilled in procedural issues before the United States District Court. Ms. Yen litigates a variety of matters including contract disputes, tortious interference, landlord/tenant, fraud and misrepresentation, quiet title and matters involving injunctive relief. She has had considerable success in motion practice, particularly summary judgment motions and obtaining temporary restraining orders.

Appellate Practice

Ms. Yen’s appellate law practice focuses on representing clients before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Nevada Supreme Court, the Nevada Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court on direct appeals and writ practice, petitions for review and amicus briefs. Ms. Yen also handles appeals to the Nevada district courts on a variety of administrative decisions. Ms. Yen assists trial teams to ensure that appellate issues are preserved in the trial court, which provides clients with an appellate advantage prior to even the first appellate filing. Ms. Yen is particularly knowledgeable in filing motions with the Nevada appellate courts and shares her expertise as the author of the Motions Practice Chapter of the 2021 edition of the Nevada Appellate Practice Manual.

Representative Matters

• Fremont Emergency Services (Mandavia), et al. vs. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. et al.: $62.65 million jury verdict awarded to client TeamHealth finding UnitedHealthcare liable for breach of contract, unjust enrichment and two forms of unfair insurance practices
• Paramount Marketing Consultants, Inc. v. M&K Enterprises: concerning a sub-lessee’s rights under a sublease agreement affected by separate negotiations and agreements between the sub-lessor and the owner
• Youngblood Architecture, LTD. v. Youngblood Wucherer Sparer Architects, LLC: membership purchase and dispute for a limited liability company
• AMI Opportunity Fund, LLC v. Amerivon Chloe Acquisition, LLC: concerning a dispute over the purchase of a participation interest in an investment
• Azteca Steel, Inc. v. Perini Building Company, et al.: brought in as appellate counsel and obtained a denial of the opposing sides writ petition, subsequent request for reconsideration and en banc reconsideration
• Russ Steel Co., Inc. v. Clark Construction Group, LLC (In Re CityCenter): representing the general contractor in a complex commercial construction litigation concerning, at the time, the largest privately financed development in the United States
• Digital Blue, Inc. v. Dyon, et al.: a case concerning trade secrets and unfair competition
• Catadon Systems, Inc. v. Planet Safe Systems, Inc.: prosecution and settlement regarding intentional interference with contractual and business relations concerning Nevada’s WindGenerations Program

Awards and Recognition

• Top Verdicts & Settlements of the West “Top 25 Verdicts 2021” – #1 largest in Nevada, #1 largest in Contracts in 13-state West region, and #9 largest in all areas of law in 13-state West region, ALM/American Lawyer Media’s VerdictSearch (Fremont Emergency Services (Mandavia), et al. vs. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. et al., Dec. 7, 2021)
• Martindale-Hubbell – AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating (since 2014)
• Vegas Inc – “Top Lawyers” in Appellate (2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation (2021-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America – Appellate Practice (2016-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America – Appellate Practice “Lawyer of the Year” (2018)
• Mountain States Super Lawyers Magazine – Super Lawyer (2016-2023),  Rising Star (2009, 2013-2015)
• Nevada Business Magazine – Legal Elite/Top Rank Attorneys  (2013, 2014, 2020), Legal Elite/Best Up & Coming Attorneys (2013)
• Las Vegas Business Press – “Women Who Mean Business” (2014)
• Special recognition for pro bono work, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada

Professional Affiliations and Community Engagement

• Meritas
  • Honorary Director (2024)
  • Member, Board of Directors and Board Nominating Committee (2020-2023)
  • Chair, Emerging Leaders Advisory Board (2019-2020)
  • Chair-Elect, Emerging Leaders Advisory Board (2018-2019)
  • Member, Emerging Leaders Advisory Board (2015-2018)
• Member, Nevada Commission on Ethics, Terms: 12/21/16-12/20/20, 04/14/21-12/20/24, Legislative Commission Appointee
• Member, Sierra Club
• Board of Directors, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, (2022-current; Secretary 2024-2026; Financial Oversight & Investment Committee 2022-2024)

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