Q&A with Kimberly Lopater
Kimberly Lopater is an associate in Porter Wright's Litigation Department in Tampa, Florida. She works with clients on insurance brokerage and insurance intermediary matters. Kim is passionate about providing pro bono services, mentoring prospective and current law students, and serving local legal organizations such as the Hillsborough County Bar Association and Diversity Access Pipeline, Inc.
What are the best ways you have found to continue to hone and build your leadership skills and legal practice?
Mentorship, pro bono service, and practicing the pause. My mentors have been extremely instrumental in my professional development because I set very high standards for myself, and I rely on their honest, unfiltered feedback to stay levelheaded and focus on what actually matters. Pro bono service is another great tool. I firmly believe serving others is essential to a person’s well-being, and pro bono work serves as an opportunity for attorneys, in particular, to fill that cup while also developing their professional skills. Finally, incorporating the “practice the pause” mantra into my daily practice has helped me be a better listener, manage priorities more efficiently, and silence the unavoidable imposter syndrome thoughts.
By what standards do you measure success?
For my own success, the answer is simple. I ask myself: “would 9-year old Kim be proud of you right now.” I am a Type A, competitive person who operates best under pressure, and this makes me to pause and put things into perspective of the big picture. The message of this question is that true measure of success is so simple—would the version of you who doesn’t know all of your failures be able to recognize your success?
On a technical level, I measure success using a holistic approach. I consider plan development, efficiency, expectation management, ability to problem solve, the result, and communication about feedback/lessons learned.
What is the best advice youā€™ve received about how to be a successful attorney?
“Set boundaries early and stick to them.”
This applies in your work life and personal life because boundaries lay the groundwork for achieving the ever-elusive “work-life balance.” The process of establishing and setting boundaries may take time and some trial and error, but the lessons learned along the way are invaluable. Speaking from experience, I improved my planning, time management, and communication skills, which has made me a better practitioner. Boundaries have helped prevent burn out, increase efficiency, and create realistic expectations for me and those around me.
What is one of your proudest moments, inside or outside your career?
When I found the courage to seek help and treatment for my ADHD. The stigma around ADHD as something everyone has, or something that is not serious, kept me from seeking the help I needed. I thought my symptoms were normal and I feared criticism for taking medication. Couple that with growing up in a “rub some dirt on it” household where ibuprofen was for extreme situations only. Eventually, there came a point when frustration turned to helplessness, and I realized something had to change. I excelled in the most difficult courses at FSU, but struggled with the most basic. I created grand plans for the future, but lacked the energy and motivation to execute.
Fortunately, a close friend of mine was candid with me about her diagnosis and treatment, and she helped me realize I was limiting myself and my ability to have a fulfilling life. My ADHD diagnosis was a breakthrough because it was proof that the potential I thought I had all along was real. That validation gave me the confidence to pursue law school and a career as an attorney, because I no longer questioned whether my goals were attainable. My entire mindset shifted. I became committed to learning more about ADHD and how to navigate it throughout my career, and I now help others do the same. Without a doubt, that makes me incredibly proud.
