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Professionals 93 results
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Practice Area
Our Labor & Employment Practice is one of the largest and most experienced practices among the country’s multi-disciplined law firms. Our attorneys represent global employers of all types and sizes—ranging from the Fortune 100 to privately held startups—often serving as national, regional, or preferred counsel to many of these major employers.
Industry
Winston has one of the world’s premier sports law practices. Our work has included some of the most famous legal matters in sports history—including Alston v. NCAA, the case that culminated in a 9–0 Supreme Court victory for the college players against the NCAA; the US$2.15B Los Angeles Dodgers acquisition; McNeil v. the NFL, the landmark antitrust jury trial that led to the establishment of free agency in the NFL; the multi-billion-dollar construction and permanent financings for SoFi Stadium; and Morgan v. USSF, the case that led to a historic equal pay settlement for the players on the Women’s National Team. Our work is transforming this global, multibillion-dollar industry.
Practice Area
Class Actions & Group Litigation
Winston has developed a consistent record of success handling class action cases in state and federal courts. The practice is anchored by seasoned class action lawyers, many of whom have been recognized by Chambers USA and other ranking organizations as being top practitioners in their field. Our clients rely on us to steer them through class action matters by drawing on the firm’s significant experience in resolving complex litigation using creative and aggressive arguments, across a broad range of class, collective, coordinated, and mass actions, as well multidistrict litigation. We also have succeeded at trial in several class actions—a rare occurrence.
Experience 7 results
Experience
|January 31, 2023
Secured Landmark Equal-Pay Settlement for Current and Former USWNT Members
In a global-headline-grabbing matter of first impression—applying the Equal Pay Act and Title VII equal-pay requirements to female athletes in a professional team sport, we lodged a class action for current and former World Cup-winning USWNT players against their employer, USSF, for equal pay and working conditions to their USMNT counterparts. Along with much of the world, the USMNT players expressed their deep support for their female counterparts throughout this litigation.
Experience
|April 30, 2016
Settled Discrimination Case for Luxury Brand
Winston represented a luxury retailer in a matter, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, wherein plaintiff alleged race and national origin discrimination under Title VII, age discrimination under ADEA, as well as claims under the Florida Civil Rights Act. In fact, plaintiff was terminated after she used her position as store manager to coerce subordinate employees to give her substantial monetary loans and to make purchases for her with their credit cards. Plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages, plus lost wages (past, present, and future), liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, taxable court costs, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest. The court granted our client’s Motion to Dismiss plaintiff’s claims for hostile work environment. Shortly after, the parties settled on favorable terms.
Experience
High-Profile Disability and Sexual Orientation Discrimination Settlement
Winston represented a leading MedTech company in a dispute brought by its former Chief Patent Counsel, a long-tenured, very senior-level employee, who alleged his termination was retaliation motivated by disability discrimination and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. We successfully removed the case to federal court in the N.D. Cal. after plaintiff initially sued our client in California Superior Court. After eliciting incredibly helpful testimony from plaintiff during his deposition, including admissions, we moved the case to a quick settlement conference before the judge and were able to negotiate a favorable settlement on behalf of our client for less than 4 percent of the original demand.
Insights & News 434 results
Recognitions
|September 24, 2025
|1 Min Read
Winston Featured on the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers List
Winston & Strawn lawyers have been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers list. Now in its 19th edition, this guide recognizes the nation’s top advisors across the full spectrum of employment and labor law — from employee benefits and executive compensation to traditional labor matters, immigration, and a wide range of litigation and arbitration, including wage and hour class actions, discrimination, trade secrets, and non-compete disputes.
In the Media
|September 23, 2025
|2 Min Read
Kathi Vidal Discusses Gender Gap in Patents with MLex
Winston & Strawn partner Kathi Vidal was featured in a MLex article where she discussed the gender gap in patents, outreach efforts in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under her leadership as the former Director, and how the office can support women inventors. A 2022 study from the USPTO showed that office policy can help close the gap between men and women in the US patent system. The paper studied the effectiveness of the Pro Se Pilot Examination Unit (PSPEU), which provides additional communication and assistance to inventors attempting to prosecute a patent without representation.
Pro Bono In Action
|August 26, 2025
|1 Min Read
Winston Scores Title IX Win for High School Softball Players
Winston lawyers won class certification and then negotiated a favorable settlement for female College Park High School athletes who alleged gender discrimination in the school’s softball program.
Other Results 24 results
Law Glossary
What Is the Equal Rights Amendment?
Currently, the Constitution does not guarantee that all the rights it protects are held equally by all citizens without regard to sex. With 24 words, the Equal Rights Amendment would change that. It would provide that “[e]quality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.” It would also give Congress the power to enforce that constitutional guarantee by passing legislation.
Site Content
Winston & Strawn LLP is committed to providing employment opportunities to individuals whose experience and abilities best match job requirements. It is the policy of Winston & Strawn, in accordance with the provisions of local, state, and federal legislation dealing with employment and personnel practices, to ensure equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race (including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, which include but not limited to, such hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), personal appearance, creed, national origin (includes language use and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the United States is authorized under federal law, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, ancestry, age (40+), sexual orientation, sexual preference, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and HIV/AIDS), marital status, genetic information (including family medical history), familial status or responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, order of protection status, salary or wage history, current employment status, disabled veterans, recent separated veterans (within three years of discharge or release from active duty), armed forces service medal veterans (veterans who, while on active duty, participated in a U.S. military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded), and other protected veterans (veterans who served as active duty during wartime or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized), or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (collectively, “protected characteristics). It is the interest and desire of the firm that equal opportunity be provided in employment and personnel policies and practices, such as recruiting, hiring, promotions, reassignments, transfers, Firm-Sponsored training, compensation, benefits, layoffs and recalls, terminations, recreation programs and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.
Site Content
Enacted in 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a broad state law that provides California residents with