Amanda J. Wendorff knows sports compliance from the inside out. As a Harvard Law-trained attorney, former Division I NCAA track athlete, former professional triathlete, and elite endurance sports coach, she represents athletes in anti-doping, SafeSport, and sports-related legal matters with a perspective few lawyers can offer—one earned through years of competition under the very rules she now helps clients navigate.
“I understand, and can empathize, with an athlete’s fear that their entire career and reputation could go up in flames over contamination from a source that seems innocent, like prescription medicine, or a mistake or misundestanding. Athletes are faced with an ever complex landscape where nothing ever feels safe to ingest, given how sensitive testing has become, and a system that can feel overwhelming to navigate.” ~ Amanda J. Wendorff
A Litigator With Firsthand Athlete Experience
Amanda earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2006 and began her career as a litgator at the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis, one of world’s most prestigious law firms. She then practiced for several at Eimer Stahl LLP, a complex litigation boutique firm, where she represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in complex commercial disputes, class actions, and product liability cases. Subsequently, Amanda practiced at Cohen, Salk & Huvard, where she gained significant courtroom experience while representing small businesses and individuals in state and federal courts.
Throughout her litigation career, Amanda developed extensive experience in all stages of complex litigation in both federal and state courts. She has examined witnesses at trial, researched, briefed, and argued dispositive motions, managed large-scale discovery efforts, and achieved favorable outcomes for her clients in matters involving breach of contract, consumer fraud, products liability, antitrust, and other commercial matters.
After nearly a decade in litigation, Amanda temporarily stepped away from full-time legal practice to pursue elite sport—competing internationally as a professional Ironman triathlete. During that time, she gained extensive practical knowledge of anti-doping regulations, athlete testing protocols, and compliance obligations—knowledge shaped not by theory, but by lived experience. She then returned to the legal field armed with a unique perspective and desire to advocate on behalf of athletes and others in the sports field.
Amanda is also an experienced endurance sports coach working with amateur and elite-level athletes across triathlon, running, cycling, and swimming. She coaches athletes nationwide through a highly individualized, data-driven approach and regularly educates them on compliance obligations and risk management in sport.
Amanda is admitted to practice law in Illinois.
What You Might Find Interesting About Amanda
Outside of work, Amanda still trains and races as an amateur triathlete and coaches middle school cross country and track. She also enjoys cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes, writing, and international travel. Her favorite destinations are New Zealand and Chile.