Kandis Gibson: You Belong in The Room

Associate Kandis Gibson is many things: a first-generation lawyer; an ITC patent, trademark, and copyright infringement guru; and a dedicated, but humble, endurance athlete. And starting this month, she has one year to shape the agenda of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) as its new president. Fresh from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, which she recently swam, the WBA’s newest leader shares her insights on how women show up differently in the law as well as affirmation of belonging where you are.

How did you know it was time to take the next step in your career?

Sometimes you can get too comfortable. In my case, comfortableness was accompanied by a lack of growth. I eventually got to a point where I was able to acknowledge this and recognized that I was not being a good steward of my career. As I was leaving my prior firm, one of the partners thanked me for staying so long. It took this partner thanking me for me to fully realize the value that I bring. As women, we sometimes think someone is doing us a favor by hiring us. We have to recognize that we bring value, and women aren’t usually taught to think this way.

What do you look for in a mentor?

You can’t just have female mentors or male mentors, or mentors who are a member of your “group.” You need breadth of mentorship, including people outside of the legal field. Sometimes as lawyers we lose perspective—we get too in the weeds or go down wormholes. You need people who understand and appreciate the nitty gritty of what you’re doing, but also people who are far enough removed from whatever situation you’re in who can remind you that it’s not that deep.

I’ve had female mentors-turned-clients be really protective of my role in the work that they’ve brought to the firm. They want to see my name on the client engagement letter. They want to know that I’m getting credit. These are the things we really need to do for other women. That’s why there is value in having conversations, like we do in the WBA, about ways we can help other women, help our clients, and help our peers to navigate these processes. Otherwise, how will they know what can be done or to do it?

How does your experience with endurance athletics overlap with your experience as a lawyer?

The vast majority of my practice before coming to Morgan Lewis was International Trade Commission (ITC) litigation. ITC litigation is faster than the fastest rocket docket. It’s intense. There is a “push it to the limit” personality there that’s similar to what endurance athletes have.

For me personally, I have to maintain a balance of activity, rest, and replenishment. I’m a Black woman living in America and am more susceptible to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Because of these factors, it’s imperative that I have a healthy lifestyle, but I work in a profession more susceptible to addiction and other factors that can harm my well-being. So, to achieve that balance I push myself to move and to get outside, but also to rest and watch some television. Somewhere on that spectrum is replenishment. We need to get back what we give and have things poured back into us.

What advice would you give yourself 10 years ago?

You belong in every room you find yourself in. Regardless of how many times people in that room have called you someone else’s name or forgotten that they’ve met you a dozen times before. Whatever you are and whatever you’re doing, there is someone there who is willing to support you. You may have not met that person yet, but they’re there.

What was the transition to Morgan Lewis like for you?

I first started my practice at a firm of 100 lawyers, later transitioned to a firm with seven lawyers, and two years ago joined Morgan Lewis—a firm of more than 1,800 lawyers. As you can imagine with the latter move, there was an element of culture shock. Having the opportunity to connect with other WBA members who had made similar career transitions, specifically going from a small to large firm (many lawyers do the reverse) was incredibly helpful.

Starting a new job during the COVID-19 pandemic made the challenge even more daunting. But being a part of a team that appreciates my perspective helps. Even before my first day at Morgan Lewis I was hearing from other lawyers at the firm. I had several allies, including the co-leader of the firm’s labor and employment practice, Grace Speights, who is very active in the WBA, connect with me, welcome me to the team, and offer assistance right from the start. You find your new tribe and your new village, but it’s been an adjustment. They call them growing pains for a reason!

How did you decide on the theme for your WBA presidency, “Leading Forward”?

With women at the helm of all three firms I’ve worked for, I’ve had three strong examples of women in leadership. I think it’s important to get leadership right.

Everyone benefits when we have women in leadership. Women are great when they lead authentically. We need to have less fear-based leadership—we need leaders who acknowledge that there can be many different routes to achieving the same goal. We need leaders who understand that you don’t have to do things the way they did, including perhaps in ways they’re not comfortable or familiar with, for them to be able to support you. I have benefited greatly by having people come to me and say, “I don’t understand the things that you do,” referring to my niche practice or my marathon swimming, “but I want to support you in your efforts to reach your goal.” At the end of the day, it’s important, male or female, that we celebrate all those different paths.

We also need compassionate leadership and for leadership to know what’s it like to be a young attorney, a female attorney, or an attorney of color. We need to have people who are connected to how you identify because that’s how you show up in the law.

The issues women attorneys face are different. How women show up in the law, how people receive us, how we navigate careers and families, and how we navigate the decisions around careers and families are different from men. I’m in a heavily dominated male space (IP law) within a male dominated profession. It’s important to have voices around you that are encouraging, supportive, and understanding.