Biography
Amanda Crouch is a zealous advocate for her clients. She represents clients in a wide range of industries in state and federal courts and arbitration. She has achieved success before juries, judges, arbitrators and appellate courts across Texas.
While she loves the courtroom, Amanda understands that trial is not always the answer and provides tailored strategies to fit each client’s specific need. She emphasizes efficiency in her practice and is frequently able to obtain a cost-effective resolution that fully achieves the clients’ desired outcome. Amanda works tirelessly for her clients and sees her role as a partner in reaching their goals. She works hard to understand her clients’ business needs and has a service-minded work ethic when it comes to resolving disputes.
Amanda’s practice is set apart by her ability to find creative solutions and strategies to resolving her client’s disputes. She has been essential in securing favorable results for clients on a range of matters, including general commercial litigation, collection cases, personal injury cases, probate litigation, oil and gas issues, contract disputes, environmental litigation, First Amendment and media litigation, Section 1983 claims and governmental immunity cases on behalf of cities and counties. Recently, Amanda led the firm’s COVID-19 Task Force and provided advice to clients in a range of industries regarding various COVID related employment and business matters.
Amanda has direct experience handling all aspects of a proceeding from pre-trial to trial to any necessary appellate remedies. She considers problem solving for clients to be a privilege and enjoys each opportunity to interact with current and potential clients.
Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Amanda interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas and for Justice Phil Johnson of the Texas Supreme Court. During law school, Amanda worked as a Research Assistant for Baylor University President Ken Starr and was President of the Student Bar Association. Amanda was also a member of the George Washington National Security Moot Court Team and the John Marshall Information Technology Moot Court Team.
Education
B.S., with high honors, University of Texas at Austin
J.D., cum laude, Baylor Law School
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2013
Court Admissions
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
Commercial Litigation
Amanda has achieved success in a variety of commercial litigation matters, including the following representative cases:
- Filed and obtained default judgments for various business clients.
- Represented leading agriculture supply company in management of Texas collection docket resulting in favorable outcomes totaling over $2.5 million.
- Represented various other clients through state court collection litigation and post-judgment remedies including writs of execution, abstracting judgments, receiverships, and post-judgment discovery.
- Represented clients through state and federal court involving breach of contract claims resolved through summary judgment or favorable settlement.
- Defended a temporary injunction based on a covenant not to compete. Work resulted in a directed verdict in favor of client that was affirmed by the Fourth Court of Appeals.
- Achieved victory for client in federal court dismissing plaintiff’s claims for alleged breach of lease.
- Obtained favorable result through settlement for breach of international partnership agreement.
- Defended financial institutions and obtained favorable results against claims for alleged forged checks and other types of fraud.
- Represented financial institutions on various foreclosure related issues including defending against injunctive attempts to stop foreclosures.
- Represented life insurance companies on various claims related to recoverability of life insurance proceeds and obtained favorable settlements.
- Defended car dealership against various DTPA claims and obtained favorable settlement.
Beyond general commercial litigation, Amanda has significant experience representing clients in a variety of specialized litigation matters, including the following:
First Amendment and Media Litigation
- Obtained victory in Texas appellate court to reverse a post-verdict sealing order attempting to retroactively seal evidence presented in open court in a $740 million trade secret dispute.
- Achieved dismissal for media client under Texas Citizens Participation Act against Plaintiff’s First Amendment claims that was affirmed by state appellate court.
- Represented online media outlet in intervention to obtain court records in highly publicized case involving a public figure.
- Defended media entity in state court litigation involving defamation claim and obtained favorable settlement for client.
- Assisted in representation of media outlet against claims of defamation by limited purpose public figure based on publication of online article.
Governmental Litigation and Advice
- Defended governmental entity against whistleblower claims during two-week trial in state court.
- Represented governmental entity at trial against claims of First Amendment retaliation and obtained favorable post-trial settlement.
- Obtained victory in Fifth Circuit based on qualified immunity against Section 1983 claims related to jail suicide.
- Achieved state appellate victory for governmental entity in wrongful death lawsuit based on Section 101.106(e) of the Texas Tort Claims Act.
- Obtained dismissal in state court for public official based on allegation of judicial immunity in dispute over judicial bond.
- Assisted with multiple open records requests to governmental entities including preparation of appeal to Attorney General related to withholding of certain documents.
Title Disputes
- Obtained victory in federal trial and appellate court on a suit to quiet title filed by 33 plaintiffs relating to residential development in San Antonio.
- Obtained summary judgment in state trial court against Plaintiffs’ claims to quiet title based on fraudulently recorded deeds filed by third-parties.
- Achieved favorable settlement in state trial court in case related to fraudulently filed Chapter 53 lien.
- Defended suit to quiet title dispute in case involving fraudulently filed deeds that are part of a Ponzi scheme.
- Represented client in suit to quiet title for $3.5 million worth of property in Bexar County, Texas.
Environmental Litigation
- Unanimous take-nothing jury verdict in aerial spray drift case against applicator.
- Represented clients on issues related to chemical spills across Texas, including assisting with remediation efforts and defending claims asserted by private plaintiffs and governmental entities.
- Obtained summary judgment against claims filed by multiple plaintiffs in two counties alleging drift impact from nearby chemical application.
Probate Litigation
- Represented beneficiary and executor in multi-million dollar estate in dispute about suitability in state probate court.
- Represented beneficiary and executor in dispute over characterization of interests in Estate and obtained a favorable resolution at mediation.
- Served as lead associate on a variety of other probate litigation and guardianship matters, including claims involving intermingling of Texas and Mexico law.
Personal Injury Litigation
- Represented oil and gas companies against personal injury claims across Texas.
- Defended nursing homes against personal injury claims across Texas.
- Obtained victory in state trial and appellate court for premises liability claim based on injury that occurred in church parking lot.
- Achieved favorable settlements in personal injury claims filed against grocery stores across Texas.
Oil and Gas Litigation
- Defended client in multi-million dollar arbitration dispute related to ownership interests in various properties across Texas.
- Represented mineral interest owners and operators in state court cases across Texas relating to trespass to try title claims and obtained summary judgment or favorable settlement to resolve dispute.
- Represented mineral interest owners and operators in state court cases across Texas in disputes over ownership interests and obtained summary judgment or favorable settlement to resolve dispute.
- Defended client in case relating to lost deed.
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
- Up and Coming in Litigation: General Commercial – Texas: San Antonio & Surrounds, 2022
- Associate to Watch for Litigation: General Commercial – Texas: San Antonio & Surrounds, 2021
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.)
- Appellate Practice, 2022
- Commercial Litigation, 2021-2022
- Texas Rising Star – Civil Litigation: Defense, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2019-2022
- Named to “Up-and-Coming 100: Texas Rising Stars” list, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2021-2022
- Named to “Up-and-Coming 50: Women Texas Rising Stars” list, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2021-2022
- “Best S.A. Lawyers” List, Business Litigation, San Antonio Scene, 2015-2021
- “San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law,” San Antonio Scene, 2021
- “Rising Star Lawyers” List, San Antonio Scene, 2016-2022
- Belva Lockwood Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, 2017
Speaking Engagements
- Co-Presenter, Basics of Pretrial – Preparing and Responding to Motions for Summary Judgment (October 2021)
- Co-Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel: Ethical Considerations Prompted by Remote Work and Return to Work in the Wake of Covid-19 (March 2021)
- “What New Statewide and Local Restrictions Mean for Texas Businesses,” Jackson Walker Fast Takes Podcast (June 2020)
- Co-Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel: Ethics Jeopardy (April 2020)
- Presenter, “Recent Trends in Oil & Gas Litigation” (February 2019)
In the News
- “Judge seals Thomas J. Henry divorce case following dismissal“, San Antonio Report (July 2021)
- Bexar County Women’s Bar Association
- Board of Directors, 2016-2018
- Treasurer 2018
- Autumn Affair Co-Chair, 2016
- San Antonio Young Lawyer’s Association
- San Antonio Bar Association
- LeadershipSBOT, 2015-2016
- Defense Counsel of San Antonio
- Membership Chair, 2014
- Vice-President, 2015
- President, 2016
- Hemisfair Coalition, Founding President, 2015-2016
- North East Educational Foundation, Board of Directors
- Governance and Nominating Chair, 2021
- Starlight Gala Chair, 2017 – 2018
- Junior League of San Antonio, Board of Directors
- President, 2022-2023
- President-Elect, 2021-2022
- Board Member of the Year, 2020-2021
- Vice President of Fund Development, 2019-2020
- Signature Project Chair, 2017-2018
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Program, 2020