National Hispanic Heritage Month Attorney Spotlight: Kimberly Rivera

Kimberly Rivera has been with the firm since 2018. Kimberly focuses her practice on Product Liability, Toxic Tort, Environmental, and General Liability. 

As a partner in the Litigation group of our Los Angeles office, share with us your journey into law and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.

When I started college, Law was not an area that I considered.  I dreamed of being a teacher, thought it was a great profession, practical, and within my reach. I did not have any lawyers or judges in my family to encourage me, guide me, or support me.  As a matter of fact, my family did what they had to do to assimilate into the American culture, not stand out or take risks.  Not until I was out of college working for a couple years did I realize that I had an interest in the legal field and that there was a need for more diversity in the profession.  My hope was simple, that my  work in the legal field would encourage other family members to get advanced degrees and perhaps encourage future women and minorities to do the same.

How has your practice changed throughout the pandemic and how have you personally pivoted to remain successful despite the global setbacks?

The pandemic has changed  my view on how to communicate within my practice.  I am a strong supporter of coming into the office, having face to face meetings, and working closely with my colleagues.  For me, communication is the key to managing a case and as a result of working remotely I have learned to be a more efficient communicator and have stressed the importance of clear and frequent communication with the associates. As a result, I have increased my communication with case handling attorneys by setting up more meetings and checking in on the status of projects more frequently. 

As a Hispanic American in the legal profession, what advice would you give to other Hispanic American attorneys pursuing a similar path? Any memorable life lessons you have learned along the way?

My advice to all new attorneys is the same, work hard, do not be afraid to ask questions, and take initiative.  Specific to Hispanic Americans in the legal profession, it will be to your benefit to reach out to others that may have similar experiences, take risks and challenges because even if you do not see others like you in your area of work, you may be that person who is the mentor to those that come after you.

How do you celebrate or keep your Hispanic roots alive in your daily life?

My family keeps me grounded in my Hispanic roots. The Mexican food, family gatherings, Latin music and discussions on important issues all come from the experiences we have had as a family.  In turn, it has been important for me to pass down the stories, exchange the recipes, and engage in the traditions that make us unique.