The holidays are upon us again, and while partners hurry to wind up business and associates wait around for their bonuses, the firms are spreading holiday cheer through creative video cards to spread cheer to clients and colleagues alike.
We have ten nominees for our 11th Annual Holiday Contest, plus one honorable mention which we’ll talk about at the end. Without further ado:
1. Morse: The New England firm offers a list of things to do and see with loved ones during the holiday season. From the nominator: “As usual, everyone at the Firm was welcome to contribute to our Ultimate Holiday To-Do List, and we’re always pleased to see the mix of participation – from attorneys to staff to paralegals… Our employees are such great team players who took the time to consider their own holiday traditions and decided to share them with our clients, contacts and friends of the Firm – and now all of you! After all, how many other e-cards are crafted by more than just the Marketing Department?”
2. Heyman Enerio Gattuso & Hirzel LLP: BoHEGHian Rhapsody launches us on a journey that’s really just for that one title joke and it’s not all that imbued with holiday cheer, but the Delaware firm fully commits to the Wayne’s World premise.
3. Harness Dickey: The patent and IP attorneys of Harness Dickey forge the perfect marriage of holiday spirit and foregrounding the brand with a video card focusing on vintage patented works for the holiday season. The firm’s tagline is “Where IP Comes Alive” and the card plays right into that message.
4. Bilzin Sumberg: From the nominator: “Don’t be fooled by the simple, straight forward approach to the eCard (hey, who said lawyers are always long-winded?). Once you click, you will be transported to the wonderful world of wintertime in Miami. A magical place where you can find corporate attorneys riding bicycles around downtown and litigators drinking VitaCoco on the bay, you know typical winter activities. While they are at it, attorneys thank clients and friends for the opportunity to collaborate and wish them a Happy Holidays. Enjoy!”
5. McBrayer & MML&K Government Solutions: “We make our e-cards totally in-house, and it’s an opportunity for us to show some of our personality… our yearly holiday card is a chance to let down our hair a bit.” Indeed. This delightful take on the 12 Days of Christmas manages to be funny, warm, and inform the viewer about the firm all in one concise song.
6. Troutman Sanders: “As a law firm, we understand that a lot of life is spent on the go. Sometimes it is not so much about cooking the perfect turkey dinner, but about who you are spending your time with. We hope that however you spend your holiday, it is joyful, peaceful and inspiring.” Troutman may be hoping to spend the holiday with Pepper Hamilton.
7. Goodman Allen Donnelly: This card features original artwork by one of the firm’s founding partners, Michael Goodman and it’s clear he’s a very talented cartoonist (he’s been featured as an Editorial Cartoonist in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Sunday Business Section and his work has been nationally syndicated). This year the firm partnered with the talented animators at Webby Cards to bring Goodman’s artwork to life and tell the tale of Goodman’s 2019. “Santa has more than enough to fit under your tree, but as a Quid Pro Quo, he wants extra cookies and spiked egg nog,” Goodman explains.
8. Wolf Greenfield: The champions of the 2017 and 2018 ATL Holiday Card Contests return with another stop motion tale. As they put it, “At this time of year, it’s easy to get trapped in the hustle and bustle of the season without stopping to smell the freshly baked cookies—gingerbread is our favorite. Whether people are escaping on vacation or staying local, in snow or in sun, this year we hope they can kick back, relax and soak in the holiday spirit. After all, don’t we all deserve that?” There’s also a behind-the-scenes look at the stop motion animation process containing photos and a time lapse of the work in progress.
9. Larson • King: Another take on the 12 days of Christmas song, but this time changed to incorporate well-known holiday characters and their legal problems. The firm’s made the ATL finalists list before, but with a recent brand refresh, they’ve switched up their usual illustration style and animation this year.
10. Latham & Watkins: This is the Hallmark Channel movie entry of the year. If you wanted to know if lawyers have heart, here are profiles of Latham attorneys being good people and earning the love of friends and family this season.
Honorable Mention:
Davis Wright Tremaine: We wanted to recognize this one, a word-scramble game thematically tied to a contribution to Toys for Tots. It’s not exactly a holiday card as much as a holiday activity but it deserved mention for the work that went into it and the good cause.
Now it’s time for our audience to vote. We’ll keep the polls open through WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). This gives you ample time to campaign for your pick over the holidays (but please, please, please don’t cheat).
Thanks to all the entrants and nominators, good luck to the finalists, and happy holidays to everyone! Above the Law is happy to celebrate holiday cheer with you!