Amanda Patanaphan

Overview

Amanda Patanaphan is an associate in the Las Vegas, Nevada, office of O’Hagan Meyer. Her practice focuses on representing international, national, regional, medium-sized, and small employers in labor and employment matters, including preventive advice and counseling and guidance on litigation matters.

Amanda has extensive experience navigating trial and appellate courts in state and federal court in Nevada and handling employment matters before courts, private arbitration and mediation services, including JAMS and AAA, and administrative agencies, including NERC and the EEOC. She also has extensive prior experience working in and studying management and operations in various businesses. Amanda served as in-house counsel for a nationwide real estate development and management company for several years and spent several years in management roles at hotels both on and off the Las Vegas Strip.

Amanda’s interest in the intricacies of employer-employee relationships began before she entered law school. She focused on managerial studies as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University and later earned her Master of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Rosen School of the University of Central Florida. During her final year of law school, Amanda worked full-time as a resident services coordinator in her apartment building, where she gained additional experience with the management of high-rise apartment buildings and the personnel required to operate them.

Amanda’s experience has shaped her as a zealous but professional advocate for her clients. She prides herself on remaining organized and handling various complications while remaining level-headed. She enjoys working with clients and helping them understand the various stages of responding to charges and navigating the intricacies of state and federal court.

Amanda finds it rewarding not only to obtain the results desired by clients, but also to guide them through the complexities of their cases, whether they are seasoned in-house counsel or first-time business owners and managers.

Experience

• Negotiated a settlement for a large insurance company during an Early Neutral Evaluation before the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, where the pro se former employee plaintiff started with a six-figure offer, ultimately for less than $10,000
• Negotiated a settlement for a national transportation company against a former employee and his counsel, from six figures to less than $12,000
• Won on summary judgment against a pro se plaintiff who had initiated an employment discrimination suit against a major casino client
• Successfully remanded a case from federal court on behalf of a retail tenant against its landlord based on findings from the court pursuant to the retailer’s motion to dismiss / remand
• Received an EEOC finding of no cause on behalf of a food products factory against a former employee who claimed retaliation
• Negotiated a six-figure payment from a company and its insurance agency on behalf of a building owner due to damage caused by the company’s employee to the building owner’s perimeter wall
• Won a motion for partial dismissal of a complaint for negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention in a personal injury matter before the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada
• Second Chair of Jury Trial in a class action matter regarding HOA superpriority liens and acquiring purchasers after foreclosure

Publications

• “Cheat Sheet: Prima Facie Claim Elements for Common Employment Discrimination Claims in Nevada State and Federal Courts”, Clark County Bar Association Communique, May 2026
• “Proxy Access and Shareholder Activism: Navigating the United States Activist Landscape after Dodd-Frank”, Association of Corporate Counsel Blog Post, February 2017

Professional

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Asian Bar Association of Nevada
  • Director of Membership, 2024 – 2028
• Member, Clark County Bar Association
  • Editor of Communique Publication, 2024 to Present
• Member, State Bar of Nevada
  • Member of Board of Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), 2022 – 2028
  • Member of Clients’ Security Fund Committee, 2025 to Present
• Member, Thai American Bar Association
  • President, 2025 – 2026
  • President-Elect, 2024 – 2025
  • Board Member at Large, 2021 – 2024
  • Co-Chair for In-House Counsel Committee, 2021 to Present

Community

Amanda is committed to serving her community through a variety of pro bono and volunteer initiatives. She has represented minors in guardianship matters through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and has volunteered with attorney immigration clinics hosted in partnership with TABA and NAPABA, assisting participants with green card-related questions and guidance. Amanda has also supported Mondays Dark, Las Vegas’s premier variety show dedicated to raising funds and awareness for local nonprofits.