They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 - Amanda Pickens Nitto of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson

Amanda Pickens Nitto

Age: 38

Law Firm: Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson

Practice Area: Litigation

Title: Partner

Location: Charlotte, NC

Law School: University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.

After representing the SEC through almost a decade of litigation in the Alston, House, Carter, and Hubbard cases, I helped the Southeastern Conference obtain approval of its nearly $2.8 billion-dollar class action settlement in House, along with the NCAA and the other A5 conferences. The June 2025 settlement includes approximately 390,000 current and former college athletes, and we faced several obstacles to obtaining final approval.

There were over 250 objections lodged with the court—certainly a historical volume in a class action settlement. But as NCAA President Charlie Baker said, this settlement “opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports” as it is a “huge step” that “comes with significant change.” Post settlement, I will continue to represent the SEC as it litigates a case with approximately 300 opt-out class members in Colorado.

In Bendis v. Singer and Tamboura v. Singer, 30 plaintiffs on behalf of a nationwide class sued James Singer, the alleged perpetrator of the highly publicized “Varsity Blues” college admissions bribery scandal, and several universities where students were allegedly admitted after paying bribes. I represented Wake Forest University, along with my colleagues.

In 2020, Judge Davila of the NDCA granted our motion to dismiss, finding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue, as they could not show that they were affected in a particularized way by the alleged bribery scheme. This was an argument I crafted with two of my colleagues on behalf of the joint defense group, and it worked, quickly. We were really proud of this result!

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?

Own up to your mistakes, quickly. At our firm, you are not assigned to a department in your first year to give you a broad range of experience and exposure. In my first year, I helped a corporate lawyer with a joint venture, and the closing happened on Saturday. The client’s business person said it was go-time, so I followed his instruction, declaring the deal closed and circulating the final executed documents. But the in-house counsel never weighed in.

On Monday morning, the in-house counsel was upset that I declared the deal closed without his input. The only way to remedy the problem was to call the in-house attorney, quickly. I was terrified, and I know I cried. I called the deal partner, and she pushed me to call him, too. Once I apologized, the in-house counsel extended a lot of grace. I was a first-year associate who made a serious mistake, and he appreciated my candor and humility. He said it was a lesson learned, but it was one I have never forgotten.

This experience taught you must own up to your mistakes, quickly. While we all hope mistakes are infrequent, they happen. I also learned that calling or visiting someone in person is often the only acceptable way to apologize. Apologizing over email simply doesn’t cut it. But apologizing, offering a solution and expressing humility goes a long way.

How do you define success in your practice?

Unwavering trust as a counselor. I tend to attract clients facing complicated challenges with unforgiving timelines who are under the microscope of hundreds of critical eyes. The legal questions are only part of the jigsaw puzzle. They are juggling complicated boardroom dynamics, internal “leaks” to the media, the quick-to-judge analytic eyes of Wall Street, and the stress of making the “right” decision.

Success is when my clients trust me to guide them through those turbulent waters. Success is when we are their counselor—not just their legal adviser. When our clients face some of the most stressful moments in their careers, it is very rewarding to be the person they call for help.

I also deeply value trust within my firm. Our client work is complicated, invigorating and demanding. For our firm’s unique system to work, building trust with my colleagues is vital. We are leanly staffed, which gives you significant early experience. Some say you jump into the deep end here and we teach you how to swim as you are doing it.

I pride myself on having “therapy chairs” in my office and being a trusted adviser to my colleagues. A few years ago, we were awarded silly superlatives at a firm event. I won “heartbeat of the firm,” and frankly, I’ve never been more touched.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer?

It’s hard to pick one, so I’ll share a recent moment of pride instead. There was a hearing scheduled on Tuesday morning in federal court with almost a dozen motions. The case involves a $500 million claim between private companies over the sale of Covid-19 test kits. The litigation has been an intense battle for several years, with more motions practice than all of my other cases combined. Late Monday afternoon, opposing counsel informed us they improperly represented their client’s citizenship and planned to file an updated disclosure form.

Along with my team, I figured out this new information meant the court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction. So, I drove a few hours to where Tuesday’s hearing would be, and along with our team, researched complicated civil procedure issues, drafted several filings to dismiss the cases for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, got them filed, and restructured the oral argument for Tuesday morning.

The next day, we argued for over an hour whether the court could proceed with the hearing if it lacked subject matter jurisdiction. We won, and all the motions were held in abeyance until a ruling on the jurisdiction issue. This experience was a whirlwind and felt like an episode of “Suits.” But it highlighted the magic that happens with a team of smart, hard-working lawyers with excellent strategic vision.

Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?

My partner and friend, Angie Vincent. She leads our employment practice group and has served on our board of directors for nine years. Angie is one of the best employment lawyers in North Carolina and, perhaps, in the country. Angie’s ability to build rapport with everyone she meets is a true gift. She is real and doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations (all while delivering the message with the right touch). She worries, incessantly, about her clients and their challenges. She dives deep. She understands all the details, including the unspoken dynamics of a political corporate culture or difficult boardroom. And she gives clients quick, practical advice. Put simply, Angie is the employment lawyer that lawyers call when they are in a crisis.

As my friend, Angie has given me unwavering support. She recruited me to the firm, and she has mentored me since my first day. She has celebrated me as I have grown up—hosting my wedding and baby showers, toasting me when I became her partner, and delivering many “Wonder Woman” gifts to remind me I can do it all.

Angie has mastered her craft, gained the trust of every attorney internally, led us and other organizations through difficult challenges, been the model of motherhood to her two young boys, and shown me how to be a great friend.

Tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.

Two songs we are singing often in my home this summer are: (1) “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole. It is a joyful song that we play while we are cooking or playing in the living room with my kids. [And] (2) “Let it Go” because my two toddlers discovered “Frozen,” and we are entering a phase most parents go through.

Amanda Pickens Nitto of Robinson Bradshaw and her husband, Chris, with their children at Mother’s Day brunch.

Photo Illustration: Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Law; Photo courtesy of Amanda Pickens Nitto