Sandeep Nandivada, with Morrison & Foerster.

Employer: Morrison & Foerster Title and Practice Area: Associate, Government Contracts

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice.  We represented Vectrus Systems Corp. in the LOGCAP V bid protests. The protests involved complex procedural and substantive issues. We fought off all challenges and secured a victory for Vectrus. I am also privileged to be representing Amazon Web Services in its ongoing bid protest of [Department of Defense's] JEDI award.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? You learn by doing. As a first-year attorney, you necessarily do not have experience with much of the work senior attorneys handle daily. The best way to bridge that gap is to volunteer for more responsibility and then build upon that experience throughout your career.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you?  I am lucky to have several attorney mentors who are invested in both me and my career. In addition to helping me hone my lawyering skills, they have taught me how to communicate effectively with clients, think practically yet creatively, and balance personal and professional lives.

Please share a brief key to your success.  Consistency and practicality. Clients come to us with their most complicated questions, and they expect us to appreciate context and think creatively and practically about the solutions. Successful client support requires consistently sound legal advice that charts a practical path forward for the client while acknowledging legal uncertainties and risks.