Amanda A. Main

Amanda is a strategic, solutions-oriented litigator who advocates for innovators and market leaders, from emerging startups to Fortune 50 companies, in their most consequential disputes. She focuses on trade secret and competitor disputes, complex business and post-acquisition disputes, consumer and securities class actions, general commercial litigation, and internal and government investigations. Amanda serves on the American Bar Association’s Committee for Trade Secrets and Interference with Contracts, addressing issues relating to trade secrets, interference with contractual rights and unfair competition. She is also a member of The Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets, which develops nonpartisan principles for managing trade secret litigation and safeguarding proprietary information, and the Working Group on AI and the Law.

Amanda’s recent representative matters include:

• Spearheaded the strategy defending an innovative startup and securing a favorable resolution of a trade secret lawsuit filed by a legacy competitor
• Advised numerous clients to avoid litigation of competitor claims alleging trade secret misappropriation
• Developed the winning strategy to obtain an early $30 million judgment at the pleadings stage for selling shareholders in a milestone dispute
• Secured early dismissal at summary judgment of an earnout dispute exceeding $30 million for a purchaser and obtained a multimillion-dollar fee award
• Led Nike’s internal investigation into allegations involving a high-profile soccer player
• Led a team, on the brink of litigation, to achieve a no-cost resolution for a direct competitor conflict involving alleged trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference and unfair competition
• Won complete victory for OculusVR in a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by a video-streaming company named Oculus
• Defended an alcoholic beverage company in a high-profile trademark dispute over a beer trademark
• Defended numerous technology companies in investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission
• Represented a special committee of the board of directors in connection with multiple internal investigations
• Negotiated a successful resolution of a dispute involving corporate governance matters
• Represented a company in a California attorney general investigation into an alleged illegal lottery
• Obtained dismissal at the pleading stage of a lawsuit against an investment fund for lack of personal jurisdiction

The YWCA Silicon Valley honored Amanda as part of its Tribute to Women Awards, which recognize women who have excelled in their fields and made significant contributions through exceptional leadership.

Before joining Cooley, Amanda served as a law clerk in Chicago for Judge Charles P. Kocoras of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She previously practiced at an international law firm, representing clients involved in business disputes, consumer class actions, white collar criminal investigations, arbitrations and bankruptcy proceedings. In March 2010, she published “Applying the Unfinished Business Rule to Dissolved Law Partnerships” in the Los Angeles Lawyer.

While at Pepperdine University School of Law, Amanda was elected to the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers and served on the Pepperdine Law Review and Interschool Moot Court Team. She participated in numerous national moot court competitions and argued in the Vincent S. Dalsimer competition, presided over by Chief Justice John G. Roberts.

Recent Publications

• “Department of Justice Launches Cross-Agency Task Force to Combat Trade Fraud,” Cooley Investigations and Enforcement Watch, September 2025
• “9th Circ.’s Trade Secrets Ruling Is A Win For DTSA Plaintiffs,” Law360, August 2025
• “Impact of Ninth Circuit’s Recent Decision in Federal Trade Secret Cases Under the DTSA,” Cooley alert, August 2025
• “Tariffs Are Here – Be Aware of Criminal and Civil Enforcement Risks,” Cooley Investigations and Enforcement Watch, April 2025
• “Stays of Derivative Actions Pending Resolution of Related Securities Class Actions,” ABA Journal, March 2025
• “Trends in 2024 Securities Class Actions: AI and Biotech Cases On the Rise, Second Circuit Bounces Back,” Cooley Securities Litigation + Enforcement, February 2025
• “A new frontier: Enforcing money judgements on cryptocurrencies,” Daily Journal, September 2023
• “Pleading Tortious Interference Claims in California After Ixchel,” Law360, March 2021

Media Commentary

• “US Ninth Circuit reins in California trade secret disclosure,” MLex, IP – Trade Secrets, August 2025
• “Cooley attorney: Pharma should be ‘contingency planning’ regarding tariffs,” Axios, July 2025
• “Nike Split With Neymar Amid Sexual-Assault Probe,” The Wall Street Journal, May 2021

Speaking Events

• Panelist, “Trade Secrets for In-House Counsel: Best Practices for Protecting Your Company and Its Critical Assets,” In-House Connect, May 2025
• Panelist, “Legal Insights: Recent Trends and Best Practices in Purchase Price Adjustment and Earnout Provisions,” Cooley Legal Insights webinar series, January 2025