Joan Fife Featured in Law360 Female Powerbrokers Q&A Series

Winston & Strawn San Francisco managing partner Joan Fife was featured in Law360’s Female Powerbrokers Q&A on February 25, 2014.

In the article, Ms. Fife discusses the challenges faced by women in law, and how she has encountered and overcome sexism in her career.

“At the end of the day, we all service clients, and as long as we do that well, generally everything else works as well, and people are accepting,” she said. “There is no reason a woman cannot be an expert and be exceptional at client service.”

Regarding advice she would provide to an aspiring female attorney, Ms. Fife states: “You have to master the legal aspects of the job, and if you need help or a coach or a class, get it. You have to become an expert in some field.”

Ms. Fife also advised law firms looking to increase the number of women in their partner ranks. “It’s important to be able to point to success stories — women who were hired, retained and promoted within the firm. It is also vital to have women in key roles, creating a voice at the table,” she said.

In addition to serving as managing partner of Winston & Strawn’s San Francisco office, Joan Fife is head of the firm's San Francisco labor and employment group. She is also a member of the firm's executive, compensation and diversity committees. With more than 25 years of experience as a labor and employment litigator, she represents employers throughout the country in class action employment litigation. She has never had a Rule 23 class certified against any of her clients and has spent months as trial counsel defending against hundreds of individual, wage-and-hour damages claims.