Amanda H. Russo

Amanda Russo is a partner in the firm's Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and a member of the firm’s Products Litigation and Counseling and Food + Healthy Living practices. 

Her practice focuses on both complex civil litigation and advising and counseling for corporate clients in a variety of industries, with a particular focus in the consumer products space, including companies in the food and beverage, dietary supplement and personal care/cosmetics industries, as well as in the financial and technology industries. 

Amanda's litigation practice focuses on representing clients in a wide range of complex business and other civil litigation matters involving product liability, consumer fraud, contract and post-deal disputes, trade secret misappropriation, and other commercial disputes.  She has experience in both federal and state courts across the country, including in putative class actions and individual and multi-plaintiff suits.

In addition to her litigation work, Amanda actively counsels clients on federal and state regulatory compliance matters and provides advice on litigation avoidance, risk management and commercial strategy, in particular as related to food, supplement, cosmetics/personal care, and other consumer products.  Her counseling practice also involves conducting risk analyses of consumer product companies that are the subject of M&A, investments, or public offerings.  She also works closely with Goodwin’s FDA practice group on the intersection of food, supplement and cosmetics regulation with FDA’s drug and device authorities.

Amanda maintains a diverse and active pro bono practice, which has included, among other things, representing pro bono clients in federal district courts, as well as participation in the Neighborhood Business Initiative (NBI), which is a Goodwin-run pro bono program that brings business-related legal services to the front doors of entrepreneurs and small business owners, advising on contracting with third parties and in consumer product regulatory compliance.

Amanda has represented corporate clients in a wide variety of complex matters, including putative class actions and individual and multi-plaintiff suits, in both federal and state court.  These matters have included those involving claims of product liability, contract and post-deal disputes, trade secret misappropriation, consumer fraud, unfair competition, privacy/data breach, violations of California’s Proposition 65 and other consumer statutes and regulations, and financial services litigation.  She has also assisted clients in pre-litigation disputes, including responding to and resolving third-party claims alleging violation of laws or relating to post-transaction disputes.

Amanda also has broad experience in counseling leading and emerging consumer product companies on federal and state regulatory compliance matters, risk management, and commercial strategy, in particular as related to companies regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).  She often works with food, supplement, and cosmetics/personal care, and other consumer product companies in analyzing and evaluating premarket pathways, product labeling and marketing, product ingredients/safety, claims substantiation, good manufacturing practices, and other federal or state regulatory matters, such as compliance with California’s Proposition 65.  In addition, she has worked with clients in draft and revising commercial agreements, including manufacturing, supply, and distribution agreements, consultant agreements, confidentiality agreements, Purchase Order terms and conditions, operational policies and procedures, informed consent forms, and liability waivers.  Her counseling practice has also included advising clients in crisis management and responding to and resolving government inquiries, investigations, and other regulatory actions, including, among others, relating to product-related concerns or the implementation or avoidance of a product recall.

In addition to her litigation and regulatory compliance advising experience,Amanda has often assisted  clients in the transactional context.  She has regularly conducted litigation and regulatory due diligence reviews during acquisitions of or investments into companies in consumer product industries, with a particular focus on those in the food, supplement, or cosmetics/personal care space.  As a member of the deal team, she has advised clients on the risk of product-related litigation and regulatory compliance matters and on managing risk and in limiting potential liability associated with the transaction.

While in law school, Amanda interned for The Hon. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She also participated in NYU’s Mediation Clinic, where she assisted litigants in reaching favorable resolutions of a variety of legal disputes.

• New York State Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• American Bar Association

While in law school, Amanda interned for The Hon. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She also participated in NYU’s Mediation Clinic, where she assisted litigants in reaching favorable resolutions of a variety of legal disputes.

Amanda has been selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 U.S. 2022 and 2023. While attending law school, Amanda served as Managing Editor for the New York University Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Journal.

Amanda has co-authored the following publications:

• Co-Author, “U.S. Paycheck Protection Program Loan Recipients: Risks of Qui Tam Actions under the False Claims Act,” Goodwin Client Alert, May 15, 2020
• Co-Author “The Implications of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Contractual Performance and Negotiations,” Goodwin Client Alert, March 16, 2020
• Co-Author, “Mobile Medical Apps: Understanding and Defending Against Products Liability Challenges”, DRI, Rx For The Defense, August 2019
• Co-Author “Mobile Medical Apps: Understanding and Defending Against Products Liability Challenges,” Goodwin Client Alert, August 08, 2019
• Co-Author, “Mitigating Transactional Risk in the Internet of Things,” 21 J. Private Equity (2) 65-73, Spring 2018
• “FTC Settles for Nearly $3.5 Million with Debt Collectors Over Alleged Debt Collection Scheme,” Goodwin Blog, December 17, 2018
• “Federal Reserve Board Settles With Kentucky Bank for $4.75 Million,” Goodwin Blog December 17, 2018
• “OCC and CFPB Reach $30 Million Settlement With South Dakota Bank Over Overdraft Fees,” December 17, 2018
• “FTC Settles with Student Debt Relief Companies for $19 Million,” Goodwin Blog, September 29, 2018
• “Georgia AG Reaches Nearly $8.8 Million Settlement with Debt Collector and Owner,” Goodwin Blog, January 10, 2018
• “CFPB Settles With National Bank Over Student Lending Practices for $6.5 Million,” Goodwin Blog, November 22, 2017
• “National Mortgage Lender Pays $1.6 Million to Federal Government to Settle False Claims Act Allegations” Goodwin Blog, September 29, 2017
• “Virginia AG Settles with Local Small Dollar Lender Over Excessive Fees,” Goodwin Blog, August 4, 2017
• “CFPB Orders National Bank to Pay $4.6 Million in Civil Penalties for Credit Reporting Practices, Goodwin Blog, August 04, 2017
• “FTC and Florida AG Agree to Nearly $5 Million Settlement With Defendants Pitching “Worthless” Credit Card Interest Rate Reductions,” Goodwin Blog, June 9, 2017
• “California DBO Enters Into $1.4 Million Consent Order With Mortgage Lender Over Interest Charges,” April 18, 2017
• “Massachusetts AG Settles With Mortgage Broker and Insurance Agent Over Alleged Deceptive Practices,” Goodwin Blog, April 18, 2017
• “FTC Reaches $1.7 Million Settlement with Final Defendant in Mortgage Relief Scheme, Goodwin Blog, February 27, 2017
• “Ninth Circuit Compels Tribal Lenders to Comply with CFPB Investigative Demand,” Goodwin Blog January 25, 2017

Amanda’s recent presentations have included:

• “Food Labeling 101,” Commonwealth Kitchen workshop, May 2022
• "Contracting with Customers,” BizGrow and Neighborhood Business Initiative workshops, July 2021
• “Negotiating Contracts with Customers,” BizGrow and Neighborhood Business Initiative workshop, July 2020
• “Food Labeling, Regulatory Considerations,” BizGrow and Neighborhood Business Initiative workshop, July 2019
• “Food Biz 101,” BizGrow and Neighborhood Business Initiative workshop, Oct. 2018