Now Introducing: Kimberly!
-- by Jessie Gabriel and Kimberly Cyrus
Last week I was on a call with an incredibly impressive, mission-driven investment firm. When one of the founders introduced their latest hire (who was also on the call), he expressed how they were still pinching themselves that she joined their team. I have felt the same way each time someone has joined All Places. These are people who could work anywhere and who would be successful anywhere. They are just those kind of people. So when they choose to join this firm, it’s meaningful.
And on that note, I am thrilled to introduce the most recent addition to the All Places team: Kimberly Cyrus. Like the rest of us, Kimberly started in Big Law before moving over (I’d say up) to our company. Many of our clients have already met Kimberly, but even they haven’t had time to learn much about her. So, I wanted to give her an opportunity to introduce herself, why she joined All Places, and what types of work most inspire her.
And, no, I did not draft any of these respsonses. You'll see what I mean when you read them. It reads like firm marketing materials. All I did was send her the questions. I started tearing up multiple times while reading her answers.
JESSIE: You went from Big Law to a boutique start up firm. What made you choose All Places?
KIM: My time practicing in Big Law was stressful for many reasons so I promised myself that my next position would be one that I actually enjoyed working in and could see myself growing as an attorney. Many firms express that they are mission-driven and value diversity but don’t represent those values outside of the interview process. From the time I read the All Places job description I felt connected to the firm’s mission and excitement came over me about the possibility of joining the firm, something I had not really experienced in my job search. While I had worked in the venture capital space for three years prior to joining All Places, I could probably count on one hand how many female-founded companies I had worked with, and that number drops when I think about those founders being women of color. I wanted the opportunity to work with the women All Places has made it its mission to work with and utilize my legal skills to help build and protect their brands. I understood All Places’ mission and the importance of the firm’s work because I know what it is like to lack resources and not know how to navigate an industry that wasn’t built with you in mind. I saw that All Places was driving change through methods I had not seen another law firms take, and I really wanted to be a part of that work.
JESSIE: You’re nearly three months into your time at All Places. How is working here different from your experiences (or your friends’ experiences) at other firms?
KIM: In my prior role I felt like I would work on matters, send it off to the client and never really hear about what happened or how that work product impacted the business unless further revisions were needed. There was a lot of client work but no real opportunity to learn unless something went wrong. At All Places, time is set aside for me to learn about our clients, what they have worked on in the past, what they are currently working on, and even what they hope to work on in the future. I’m fully a part of the process so I can keep up with the client and know how our work is impacting the growth of their business. Being a part of a smaller team has also allowed me to get to know my colleagues better on a personal and professional level. I have more opportunities to connect with them and learn what they are working on, which has led to a more open and better work environment than I had previously experienced.
JESSIE: What about your time at the firm so far has been the most unexpected?
KIM: What has been unexpected is how efficient every process is at All Places. It may be surprising or maybe it isn’t, but law firms tend to be inefficient in how they complete client work. Everyone at All Places, whether that be the CEO, COS, Partner, or Legal Assistant, have separate strategies and carve out time to improve these strategies in order to bring clients the best work product in the most efficient manner. All Places values each client and their business, seeing each client as more than a bill, which was not really an idea I got from my time in Big Law. One other thing that has been unexpected is how important it is for us as a firm to also build a community for our clients so that they many interact and meet other impactful clients doing amazing work. I never expected to have opportunities to get to know our clients at a lunch or go to their amazing events, but it is all a part of establishing a broader community and extending the network for ourselves and our clients.
JESSIE: Everyone who joins the firm brings unique value. What specific expertise or perspective do you bring that complements the All Places team?
KIM: As a mid-level associate, I bring valuable knowledge from my experience practicing as a corporate associate in the venture capital and licensing space. In my prior role, I was given a lot of responsibility early on so I learned about interacting with clients and what it meant to understand and handle their needs pretty early. Six months into my first year as an associate in the venture capital group I was leading a Series A round. My work in the licensing group taught me how to be diligent in my review of contracts because one small punctuation mistake could change the entire meaning of a provision, greatly impacting the outcome of a deal. I would describe my first years as an attorney as trial by fire because I was often individually responsible for the matters I worked on, reporting directly to the partner or client. Although it sounds stressful, and it was, these experiences shaped me to have composure under pressure, the ability to sit back and understand a complex matter before tackling it independently, and pay attention to detail.
JESSIE: The name of our firm comes from a quote from the late, great Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” What is a quote that is particularly meaningful to you and why?
KIM: Nikki Giovanni said “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way.” As a Black woman in the legal field, very often I have been made to feel like I don’t belong or I’m an imposter that doesn’t deserve my success. When I hear this quote, it serves as an important reminder that I have worked hard to get where I am, deserve to be respected for that work, and should put myself into more spaces where I can make an impact because of my identity and ideas.
JESSIE: You were recently out in LA with the team for our quarterly strategy meetings. What did you most enjoy about that week (aside from the weather)?
KIM: I really enjoyed listening to each team member’s individual department presentations and being a part of the process of managing the firm and its success. In Big Law, associates work extremely hard but never get to be involved in the meetings with the marketing department or with partners on business development. At All Places, within my first few months at the firm I got to be a part of these conversations, learn from my colleagues and be welcomed into these conversations. Outside of our official meetings, I thoroughly enjoyed my one on one with Jessie. Outside of my mentor at my prior firm, my supervisors would rarely take the time to get to know me as a person to understand how that shaped the type of associate I was, why something may be difficult for me or even my experiences within the firm. In our one on one, not only did Jessie ask me questions to get to know me as both a person and employee, she made me feel like I was already an integral part of the All Places team and my success at the firm was important to her.
JESSIE: How do you like to spend your time out of the office?
KIM: I’m currently enrolled in Equinox’s Pilates teaching program so any time I’m not in the office I’m either practicing Pilates, reading my Pilates manual, or watching videos related to Pilates.
JESSIE: Anything else you’d like our community to know about you?
KIM: I’m truly excited to be part of the wonderful team at All Places and I look forward to the meaningful work I get to take part in!
JESSIE: Now let’s get to the good stuff. A few quickfires!
KIM'S RESPONSES BELOW.
Current TV obsession: Ghosts on CBS
Current podcast obsession: Since about 2014 it’s been The Read and it continues to be
Current book obsession: all about love by bell hooks
Current social obsession: Any matcha drink
Current travel obsession: Visiting Mexico City
Current beauty obsession: Eadem’s softening peptide lip balm in Butter Mochi
Current fashion obsession: Le febour’s Everything Bag
Current All Places client product obsession: I am Her Forvr Mood Perfume
Current other obsession: Pilates!
