Legal Elite 2024: Labor/ Employment Law Q&A Sharon Goodwyn

Legal Elite 2024 Q&A is sponsored content.

Title: Counsel

Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, Harvard University; law degree, University of Virginia School of Law

Family: I have been married to S. Bernard Goodwyn for 39 years. He is currently the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. We have two adult children, Sam and Sarah, both of whom graduated from U.Va.

Career mentors: At Hunton, I worked closely with James “Jim” Naughton for over 20 years. Jim not only modeled what outstanding work product and client service looked like, he took an interest in and supported my professional development.

Book I’d recommend: During a recent vacation, I read “Black Cake,” by Charmaine Wilkerson. It was beautifully written.  

First legal job: My first legal job was as a summer associate at Vandeventer, Black, Meredith and Martin in Norfolk after my first year of law school. I was a summer associate at Vandeventer and what was then Hunton & Williams after my second year of law school. I joined Hunton upon graduation from law school and have spent my entire legal career at Hunton.

Favorite place I’ve traveled: I love warm weather and beach vacations. My favorite beach vacation was to Grand Cayman.

What are some recent labor and employment compliance trends that employers may want to seek legal advice on? Employers may want to consult counsel to ensure that they are compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s new salary thresholds for exempt workers and the requirements of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

You are currently chair of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, and you have served on many nonprofit boards. How does your law expertise aid you in your volunteer board service? In our day-to-day work as lawyers, we spot issues, analyze and solve problems, and evaluate the consequences of a proposed course of action. I apply these same skills to my volunteer board service. 

Read all of the 2024 Virginia Legal Elite here.

Legal Elite 2024 Q&A is sponsored content.