Get to know... Stephanie Fedorka

May 1, 2026

A dedication to family and self-reflection has continually shaped Stephanie Fedorka’s outlook and growth. From her multicultural upbringing to what she’s learned on the path to law firm partner and as the mother of twin boys, Stephanie has not only learned the importance of a strong cultural heritage and celebration of a diverse community; she’s also learned to embrace who she is with a confidence that has evolved with each of life’s many experiences.

Named a member of the firm in January of 2026, Stephanie is a management-side labor and employment attorney, serving private and public sector clients in day-to-day labor relations and employment law issues. She provides support and legal advice in a wide array of matters, including those involving reasonable accommodations, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour compliance, leave law entitlements and administration, and beyond. She also represents employers in union election/representation proceedings, negotiates collective bargaining agreements, improper practice or unfair labor practice proceedings, grievances and arbitrations and serves as labor counsel in business transactions. 

While Stephanie was raised in Rochester, she was born in Mexico. Her Mexican mother made fluency in English and Spanish a priority and immersed the family in Rochester’s Latino community. “My mom has always had an appreciation for America’s melting pot concept--how people can celebrate, borrow, and combine diverse heritages,” Stephanie explains. “She champions being who you are with an appreciation for your own and other cultures, finding the beauty in diversity, commonalities, and service to the community.”

The seed of Stephanie’s interest in the law was sown in elementary school when she did a book report on Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. “I found her background and accomplishments to be fascinating and really cool. I was so taken with her story that I even dressed up as the Honorable Justice, borrowing a graduation gown as a judicial robe. Although it sounds kind of nerdy, I was captivated by the law and public service; how the government works and how it helps people.” 

At the University of Rochester, Stephanie first expected to study international relations based on her affinity and pride in her heritage, wanting to blend the two. In practice, however, she found her freshman classes in political science and American government to be of far greater interest. To save money, Stephanie completed her undergraduate degree in three years, then taking a gap year to work at a law firm to confirm her path.

Entering Syracuse University College of Law, Stephanie appreciated the flexibility the profession offered. “I could be a judge, go into politics, work in business or at a law firm.”

Still feeling a call for public sector work, Stephanie pursued a dual masters degree, earning a Master of Public Administration as well. Two summers between law school years were spent at Bond and she joined the Syracuse office in 2017.

In 2020, after giving birth to twin boys during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of her father only a few months later, Stephanie and her husband, Nick, engineered a move to Rochester to both give and get family support. Stephanie joined Bond’s Rochester office. “It was an interesting time in the world. Fortunately, the connections I had enabled a smooth adjustment into the relative stability of a new life.”

A born problem solver, Stephanie helps fit the puzzle pieces for decision makers. “Lives and livelihoods are impacted by the very nature of the work we do together, which requires a trusted relationship and understanding of my clients’ workplaces and industries. I inform, advise and assess risks, showing the different angles and the potential perception of actions to get my clients to a place in which they are confident in the decisions that are reached. My goal is to help my clients get to defensible and solid legal positions, despite not having a crystal ball view of the future that can unfold. 

“I have found that a lot of my counseling is in a non legal way, helping with these tough and often frustrating decisions and helping make workplaces better by forming positive employee relationships before a claim or dispute arises. I do my level best to make sure people on both sides are heard and supported so everyone can sleep at night.”

Outside of the workplace, Stephanie balances community and professional outreach with her family always taking priority. “I want to build memories with my boys, watch them learn and develop and be fully present when I’m with them. As a family we share our culture, core values, and interests while creating a safe and open place for questions that allows for mistakes, as long as we learn from them and have good intentions. Everything I do is for them, including acting as a glorified chauffeur and ardent spectator for their sports teams. That car time is where we have conversations about life; sometimes deep and profound, reminding them that I’m not perfect even if I’m an adult and know more than they do.”

“I lived a lot of my life being a perfectionist and it can be a struggle. It really clicked after I had kids that I had to relinquish a degree of control. This compromise has resonated with me beyond child rearing and helped to make me a better lawyer, colleague, and friend. It makes me a more confident attorney able to say, ‘We don’t have all the answers and never will. I can’t say that no one will ever sue you, but here’s what we can do amidst the uncertainty.’

“I’ve also come to see the fallacy of work life balance and having it all. There’s an ebb and flow. You can’t give 120 percent at work and home at the same time. I had to move from thinking I’m not a good enough mom, spouse, or lawyer, always thinking that there's more that I could pull from. You are not always going to be the best at both jobs all of the time. Once I accepted that, it became easier for me and reflected positively in my work and my parenting. That trust inherent in becoming a parent taught me to put things into perspective and be okay with the unknown, the gray area.  The gray area is a big part of practicing law, especially in labor and employment.”

“The perspective is important and integral to my practice. If you shift your perspective to affinity with the understanding that you have to compromise, you can get to where you want to go faster.  Focus on the present and stay grounded in what you‘re doing at this moment.

“Just when you think you’ve figured something out, in your practice, in your family and life, there’s always going to be something else to ponder or something that changes. It’s developing the confidence to know that you are going to be able to reach the right conclusion, even if you don’t have the answers right now.  It’s going to be okay and I'm going to figure it out.”