Nathalia Bernardo, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Name: Nathalia Bernardo

Title: Partner – RE Department

Company Name: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

What was the most challenging part of working during the pandemic?
One of the most challenging parts of working from home was fighting the monotony. Like most people, I was accustomed to commuting, spending the day with my colleagues, and working out at the gym near my office. When I started to feel that I was in a “rut” without these normal activities, I found ways to mix things up – I moved rooms within my house and purchased some new home office equipment, I started working out with a trainer via Zoom and I tried to get even a small amount of fresh air and sunshine every day. None of these things is a cure-all, but collectively they’ve helped!

What aspects of working from home did you enjoy most?
On a personal level, I have really loved spending more time with my family. I used to spend at least three hours a day commuting, and now I spend that time with my children before and after school. This has been so beneficial for all of us. On a business level, I’ve been able to participate in many more professional development and business development-focused activities. Attending webinars and networking via Zoom and other virtual platforms has been incredibly easy. I can seamlessly transition between working in my business and working on my business without skipping a beat.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2020?
I joined Kramer Levin on January 2, 2020. Just as I was beginning to get into a groove with my new colleagues, our office went remote. My greatest professional accomplishment this year was really a group effort – I’ve been able to integrate into the team in a largely virtual fashion. Some have asked me whether I feel strange, not having spent much in-person time with the attorneys in my group, and I really do not. It’s actually no surprise to me that I feel this way, given that the people at Kramer Levin were a huge part of the reason I was so excited to join the firm. It is truly a special place to practice law.