Bio

Joan Woodard is a Partner in GRSM's Sacramento and San Francisco offices and has been practicing for more than 29 years. She concentrates her practice on business transactions, employment and commercial litigation. She represents a wide range of clients from large corporations to individual businesses. Joan's employment practice includes advising clients on compliance with various state and federal laws, including breach of contract, FEHA and Title VII. She handles all aspects of employment litigation, including drafting employment contracts, hiring and termination procedures and employee handbooks. She also prepares legal research and writing, pleadings, discovery, law and motion, settlement negotiations, mediation, arbitration and trial. Her business practice includes general contract review, drafting and negotiation as well as commercial leases, and the sale and acquisition of business assets and business litigation. She provides business and transactional support to healthcare providers and senior living providers and has represented healthcare providers before regulatory agencies. Prior to joining GRSM, she practiced with a boutique Sacramento-based law firm, where she provided general business counseling in the selection, formation, acquisition, operation and dissolution of business entities and the protection of confidential and proprietary information, business transactions, corporate compliance and trademark related matters and employment matters. She has also successfully represented clients in government entity defense, premises liability, construction, and professional negligence.