Aimée D. Dayhoff
by Jane Pribek
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Born: Oct. 7, 1973; Seymour, Ind.
Education: William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 2002; Indiana University, B.A., 1996
Employment: Winthrop & Weinstine, associate, 2002-present
Professional Associations: American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Women Lawyers, Ramsey County Bar Association, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
Community Activities: Ronald McDonald House Charities, United Way, William Mitchell College of Law Mentor Program
Hobbies/Interests: Family activities, reading, travel
Personal: Husband, David; one daughter, one son
Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.
Education: William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 2002; Indiana University, B.A., 1996
Employment: Winthrop & Weinstine, associate, 2002-present
Professional Associations: American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Women Lawyers, Ramsey County Bar Association, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
Community Activities: Ronald McDonald House Charities, United Way, William Mitchell College of Law Mentor Program
Hobbies/Interests: Family activities, reading, travel
Personal: Husband, David; one daughter, one son
“You’ve got to stand for somethin’ or you’re gonna fall for anything.” So sang John Mellencamp, who hails from Seymour, Ind. — just like attorney Aimée D. Dayhoff.
“When I tell people I’m from Seymour, they always say that: ‘Oh yeah, that’s John Mellencamp’s hometown.’ And if they don’t mention it, I do,” Dayhoff says.
Mellencamp didn’t coin the phrase, but he did deliver it to a generation of rock ’n’ roll fans. And it’s an anthem that sometimes comes to mind for Dayhoff in her role as a commercial and employment litigator with Winthrop & Weinstine.
Dayhoff zealously represents her clients and can demonstrate the requisite flexibility to get a matter resolved. But sometimes she has to stand her ground.
Such was the case in Mahdi Zain v. PolarFab, where her client was facing allegations of discrimination with potential liability in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
PolarFab has a large, multicultural workforce. “It was tough for the client because they really thought they’d bent over backwards to accommodate everyone’s religious beliefs and to promote diversity,” Dayhoff says. Plus, the client was concerned about how the case would affect its other workers.
“I’m really proud of that case,” she says, “and I think justice was done with the outcome.”
Dayhoff chose a career in law because “I have a very strong personality for a female — and according to my mom — that was exhibited at a young age,” she says with a laugh. “I remember telling her at first that I wanted to be a doctor, but since she’s a nurse, she talked me out of the medical profession. So when I thought about the other big careers out there, law seemed the most appealing to me since about fourth grade.”
However, Dayhoff postponed law school for a few years while working and traveling abroad. She began as a summer associate at her current firm in 2001, and has been there ever since.
In addition to a busy practice, Dayhoff is involved in numerous professional and community volunteer activities. An overarching theme for many of them is mentoring — and that’s because she’s had the benefit of excellent mentors. Chief among them was Judge Gordon W. Shumaker of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, who took her under his wing when she was a 1L.
“He was wonderful,” Dayhoff recalls. “He took me to lunch all the time to see how things were going and give his advice. He created an internship for me with the court, which was a super hands-on experience writing bench memos and even an opinion. I decided I wanted to do that for someone else, if I could.”
Dayhoff mentors two female law students at William Mitchell College of Law, along with an entire legal writing class. In addition, as a participant in the Hennepin County Bar Association mentoring program, she regularly gets together with about 15 other lawyers for peer mentoring.
