Amazon settles lawsuit with former AWS real estate managers

Amazon has reached a confidential settlement with two former Amazon Web Services (AWS) real estate managers, Carl Nelson and Casey Kirschner, ending six years of litigation just weeks before a scheduled federal trial.

In a joint statement, Nelson and Kirschner admitted to violating Amazon’s code of conduct, though the filing does not explicitly label the payments involved as illegal transactions or kickbacks. The terms of the settlement, including any potential financial compensation, remain confidential. A Colorado lawyer, Rodney Atherton, who established corporate entities for the two men, also settled and expressed regret for his role.

The original lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleged that the managers accepted kickbacks on Northern Virginia real estate deals in exchange for steering data center projects to specific developers. While most claims were previously dismissed, a federal appeals court revived several charges, including racketeering and fraud, in September 2025.

Litigation continues against defendant Brian Watson and his firm, Northstar Commercial Partners. Amazon alleges that Northstar secured nine data center projects between 2018 and 2020 through kickbacks, a claim Watson denies. The trial for Watson and Northstar is scheduled to begin on November 2 in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.