From Big Law to Building My Brand": Sandra Fava on Leaving Fox Rothschild After Gender Dynamics, Protecting Business Assets in High-Net-Worth Divorce, and When Mediation Won't Work
Sandra Fava spent years as a partner in the Family Law Department at Fox Rothschild LLP, a national Am Law 200 firm based in Morristown, New Jersey. Despite professional success, she grew tired of being "treated differently from the men in the room" and left to found Fava Law LLC, where she provides personalized service to clients navigating high-net-worth and high-conflict divorce matters.
A certified mediator with over two decades of family law experience, Sandra represents professionals, corporate executives, hedge fund managers, and business owners in complex divorce proceedings. She's been recognized as one of New Jersey's Top 50 Women Attorneys by Super Lawyers (2025), included in Best Lawyers in America (2019-2024), and ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide (2022-2025). She's also been honored as a New Jersey Law Journal Trailblazer (2019) and named one of NJBIZ's Best 50 Women in Business.
Here, Sandra breaks down why she left the stability of Big Law to launch her own firm, the critical mistakes high-net-worth founders make when protecting their companies and assets during divorce, and the warning signs that mediation won't work for high-conflict cases.
From Am Law 200 Partner to Founding Fava Law - Building a Family Law Practice on Your Own Terms
You spent years as a partner in the Family Law Department at Fox Rothschild, a national Am Law 200 firm, before founding Fava Law LLC to provide clients with a more personalized level of service. For female attorneys considering leaving Big Law partnerships to start their own practices, what prompted your decision to leave the stability and platform of a major firm, and how did you build your client base and reputation as a solo practitioner? What's your advice for lawyers who want the autonomy of running their own firms but worry about leaving established platforms behind?
I was definitely prompted to start my own firm from my desire to have control over my schedule. Balancing a career, especially as a litigator, and a family can be challenging. In my experience, there's not much room for flexibility at a large firm, no matter the lip service. I was also at a point in my career where I realized that despite my professional successes, I was still being treated differently from the men in the room and I was tired of that.
Fortunately, I had a strong client and referral base. However, I was able to substantially grow that in my own firm as the concerns about other practice group members no longer existed. It's my brand so I get to make those decisions.
If you're reading and thinking about starting your own firm, I would tell you to do it. It's the best career decision I've made to date.
Protecting Business Assets and Entrepreneurial Wealth in Divorce - Advising High-Net-Worth Founders and Executives
You specialize in high-net-worth and high-conflict divorce matters, often representing professionals, corporate executives, hedge fund managers, and business owners. For female entrepreneurs going through divorce, what are the most critical mistakes you see business owners make when protecting their companies and assets during divorce proceedings? How should founders structure prenuptial agreements, handle business valuations, and navigate custody arrangements when building or running demanding startups, and what's the difference between protective legal strategies versus approaches that escalate conflict unnecessarily?
The most common big mistakes I see with my high-net-worth and high-conflict clients is a failure to prepare. Having a demanding job or running your own business takes a lot of time and energy. That leaves little of those things for your personal life. And let's face it, most people don't want to deal with their problems. But making sure you have your documents in order, that you understand them, that you have a plan for what the future could/should look like and doing your research before you hire an attorney to work with are key. Those things will have you so much better prepared for the process, which will enable you to make decisions and feel confident in your choices.
Prior to marriage, prenuptial agreements are mandatory for anyone who is a founder or has created or is on the way to creating high net worth. Prenuptial agreements are binding contracts that set forth the rights and obligations of each party before marriage, in the event of divorce. Assuming that these are within the realm of reasonable and fair, they allow parties to structure the division of pre-marital and marital assets and liabilities as well as spousal support. This can save a lot of time and money for parties by avoiding a long, drawn out and expensive divorce process. In most states prenuptial agreements that address custody of unborn or future children as well as financial support are unenforceable. This is because these determinations require an analysis of many factors at the time the issue is ripe.
Business valuations generally require an expert such as a forensic accountant. A tax accountant or financial advisor cannot perform valuation services. As important, however, is working with an attorney who understands the ins and outs of these evaluations, knows the questions to ask, the information to request and provide, etc.
Mediation vs. Litigation - Knowing When to Negotiate and When to Fight
You're a certified mediator who believes in exploring alternative dispute resolution whenever possible, but you're also a skilled litigator who knows when to fight in court. For female founders and executives navigating divorce while trying to maintain their professional reputations and business operations, how do you help clients decide between mediation and litigation? What are the warning signs that mediation won't work, and how should high-profile entrepreneurs approach divorce differently to protect both their personal interests and their public-facing businesses?
The choice to mediate or to litigate is determined on a lot of case specific factors. For many clients, a combination of both is an appropriate strategy.
I believe that a case has to be "ready" to mediate. The most important factor, in my experience, is both parties have to be mentally ready to mediate. As this is a confidential process, mediation allows parties to take positions they may otherwise not want to take in court. However, being ready to reach resolution and compromise is an important part of having success in the process. It is also important that there is/has been transparency and an exchange of information so that both parties are negotiating from the same information.
Warning signs that mediation won't work: First and foremost, a party who is unwilling to share information. A party that is operating from emotions only.
High-profile entrepreneurs often need to do more pre-divorce planning to understand their exposure and the process. Doing this will allow the creation of a strategy that protects the things they've worked hard to create.
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