Amanda's work on behalf of employees has been widely recognized, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and achievements. She has been named to the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In June of 2020, Amanda was elected a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys. In July, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Stand Up for Workers (SU4W), a political action committee dedicated to the needs and concerns of American workers. Before these elections she was named “2019 Lawyer of the Year – Employment Law for Individuals” by Best Lawyers and was also listed in the “Top 50 Women in Georgia” by Super Lawyers. She has been nominated to Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Georgia, the National Advocate's Top 100 Lawyers, and many other organizations for her work in Labor and Employment. She is also AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Through Amanda's leadership, Barrett & Farahany has been recognized as a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report and “Best Litigation Firm of the Year” by the Fulton County Daily Report.
Amanda's Cases and Reputation
Amanda has established a reputation of taking and winning cases that defy the odds and are regularly followed by the media.
- She achieved the highest verdict in a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) case in the nation and the largest libel verdict for a single plaintiff in Georgia.
- She tried the first Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act case in 2015 to a verdict of $2.25 million, ensuring that genetic privacy will be taken seriously by all companies.
Through her cases, Amanda both defends the individuals who seek legal representation and strives to enact legal change for all employees who face similar hardships.
In 2013, Amanda published a study analyzing and exposing how the courts handle employment discrimination in an effort to bring these cases before a panel of jurors. The study has generated national interest and dialogue, from Huffington Post articles by retired federal judges to local television coverage of the debate between Amanda and a defense attorney about the role of the jury and judge in employment cases. The study is now featured in several scholarly articles and books. Starting in September 2017, Barrett & Farahany and Georgia State University began gathering documents for a second summary judgment project, the results of which will be published soon.
Affiliations
In addition to her law practice, Amanda has served as the President of various law organizations: the Atlanta Bar Association's Labor & Employment section, the National Employment Lawyers Association in Georgia, and the Atlanta Council for Younger Lawyers.
Additionally, she has served in these roles:
- Co-chair of the American Association of Justice Wage and Hour Litigation Group
- Executive Board Member of the Atlanta Bar Association
- Chair of the Inadequate Security Litigation Group for the American Association of Justice
- Member of the Executive Committee to the Atlanta Bar Association
- Member of the Advisory Council to the National Crime Victim Bar Association
- Board member of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Crime Victim Advocacy Council, State Bar of Georgia Younger Lawyers Division, Public Affairs and Press Advisory Board to the American Association of Justice, and several domestic violence and women's rights organizations.
- Founding member of Water-Life-Hope, a non-profit organization that works to bring running water to the impoverished in Haiti.
Publications
A sought-after speaker and commentator, Amanda has been featured as a legal “thought leader” in publications and news segments. Human resource professionals and employment defense attorneys regularly seek her out as a presenter. Amanda has spoken and been published extensively regarding employment law cases related to sexual harassment, overtime and employment, civil justice for crime victims and sexual assault, and more. She has been published by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the American Association for Justice, the National Crime Victim Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia's Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and many others.
Other Distinctions
Amanda has been an invited faculty member for the Emory School of Law Trial Advocacy Program and for the National Employment Lawyers' Association Trial Boot Camp. She was one of a selected few employment lawyers asked to serve on the Eleventh Circuit Committee to revise the Pattern Jury Instructions on employment-related issues. An experienced trial lawyer, Amanda has been awarded status as a Fellow of the National College of Advocacy by the American Association of Justice. This designation signifies her commitment to effective representation of her clients and her dedication to achieving a high level of competence. Additionally, Amanda is a Fellow in the Lawyer's Foundation of Georgia. Membership in the Fellows Program is an honor that recognizes lawyers whose public and private careers demonstrate outstanding legal abilities and devotion to their communities.
Contact info:
404-671-4524