Fisher Phillips Leaders Honored in Corporate Counsel’s Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards

Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s preeminent labor and employment law firms representing employers, is pleased to announce that Christine Howard and Regina Petty have been recognized among Corporate Counsel’s 2022 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards recipients. The WIPL awards honor general counsel, in-house leaders, and law firm partners who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law.

Christine, a Tampa-based partner and member of the firm’s Management Committee was honored among the Top Managing Partners, an award that recognizes leaders who are transforming the way law firms operate. Regina, a Southern California partner and the firm’s Chief Diversity Officer was honored in the Lifetime Achievement category for her impressive efforts to empower women and diverse attorneys across all levels of the firm.

“We are incredibly fortunate to count Christine and Regina among the colleagues who inspire us each and every day to be the best lawyers we can be for our clients and for the next generation of lawyers who follow in our footsteps,” said Melanie Webber, chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative and Leadership Council. “They have helped shape our firm’s dedicated efforts to foster and promote women leaders internally and throughout our broader communities, and I cannot think of two more deserving recipients who embody the empowerment of women in law.”

Christine Howard:

In 2019, Fisher Phillips elected Christine as the first woman to serve on its three-member Management Committee, and to this day she continues bringing a vital perspective to the leadership of the firm’s 37 offices and more than 500 lawyers. Even before her election to the Management Committee, Christine opened doors for women lawyers at Fisher Phillips as one of the founding Co-Chairs of the firm’s Women’s Initiative and Leadership Council (“WILC”). Thanks in large part to Christine, WILC has grown into a platform that brings the firm’s women attorneys together and provides them a forum to share resources and experiences, exchange ideas and build business development opportunities. In addition to her tremendous efforts in advancing women across Fisher Phillips’ national platform, Christine has also worked locally in Tampa to further the advancements of women at the office-level and in the community. In her role as Regional Managing Partner of the firm’s Tampa office – a position she has held twice over the past decade – she has been instrumental in the recruitment and retention of female attorneys on Florida’s West Coast.

Christine has frequently been recognized for her work in the employment law arena, including most recently being honored by The Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year – Litigation – Labor and Employment for 2022, and Chambers USA for Labor & Employment in 2021 and 2022.

Regina Petty:

As Chief Diversity Officer, Regina plays an important role in realizing Fisher Phillips’ strategic diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. She provides leadership, vision and direction to advance the diversity and inclusion values at the firm to achieve professional and organizational excellence. Under her leadership, Fisher Phillips has rolled out numerous programs to help drive workforce initiatives and employee engagement, and because of these initiatives, the firm has made great strides in increasing diverse representation across all levels. Her efforts to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion date back to law school and encompass leadership roles including the American Bar Association, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, International Association of Defense Counsel, and women and minority bar organizations.

In addition to her role as chief diversity officer, Regina is a sought-after defense litigator who represents employers in state and federal courts across the country. She successfully argued Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158 before the California Supreme Court, a case noted on Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin's top ten list of most significant cases and trends for the Fair Employment and Housing Act's (FEHA) 50th anniversary.

Regina’s legal work has garnered professional distinctions including The Best Lawyers in America© in Labor Law – Management, Lawdragon’s Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers of America, the Los Angeles Daily Journal's Top 75 Women Litigators in California, and the San Diego Daily Transcript's Top Ten attorneys in both Labor and Employment and Business Litigation. She is also a recipient of the San Diego Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Award and Women of Influence: Top 50 Over 50.