From ballrooms full of booze to ... bowling? Needless to say, it looks like this year's holiday parties are going to be a bit more low key. Not that there's anything wrong with bowling (we actually prefer it to the black and white schmooze-fests of yore), it's just in stark contrast to last year's poll. According to the tips we received so far, Bowler, Dixon & Twitchell; Bremer, Whyte, Brown & O'Meara; and some Unnamed Business Litigation Firm have all opted to shed the open bar and grand ambiance of the strip to play a little 10-pin.
Perhaps the greatest contrast, however, comes from last year's winner: Richard Harris. Last year Rick paid for all of his staff and significant others to go on a 5-day cruise. Pretty sweet, and very generous.
Well, it seems that Rick thinks his employees are a bunch of ingrates. According to our tipster, this year the firm has opted to donate half the money spent on last year's vacation to a charity voted on by the employees. Wonder if it will be The Human Fund?
The reason cited for the lump of coal in employee's stockings: Lack of appreciation for last year's event. Ouch!
Keep the tips coming in, we still haven't heard from the majority of our larger firms. Brownstein, Marquis, Santoro, ATMS, LSC, Lewis Brisbois and the firm formerly known as Kummer Kaempfer ... where are your parties this year? Also, does anyone know how our Billboard Firms are celebrating the holidays?
(Thanks, tipsters!)
Santoro Driggs' holiday party is at the Encore this year. Open bar - I believe.
ReplyDeleteActually, last year Richard Harris took his staff on a cruise AND had a lavish holiday party. This year it was just the low key cruise to Cabo to symbolize these difficult economic times.
ReplyDeleteM&A is having the same party, location, and bus arrangements it had last year.
ReplyDeleteRhino?
ReplyDeletezzzz'
ReplyDeleteGlen Lerner had planned to take his staff to Disneyland but he's not tall enough to ride Space Mountain.
ReplyDeleteLMAO ^^
ReplyDeleteThis is stupid.
ReplyDeleteMiley?
Medical Mafia?
Amador?
my firm is doing ski trip to tahoe for weekend.
ReplyDeleteWe have a party one Friday after work at a bar. Open bar? Nobody knows. Its better than getting all dressed up to see the people I see every day at some fancy dinner party where everyone starts the night all quiet and ends the night doing embarrassing things on the dance floor.
ReplyDeleteNo party at my firm.
ReplyDeletebut I'll be in my office drinking if anyone wants to stop by.
My shop had what some may call a boring dinner party with open bar. It was decent, nothing over the top, and it is kind of nice to meet people's spouses and significant others, as we usually don't get the chance.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get the firms that have huge events--like ski trips and the like. Sure, it's nice, but I would much rather have more $$$ in my pocket than a forced social outing for more than one night.
The "low key" Christmas cruise Rick paid for was actually a work trip aka business write off. The employees were paid for but had to attend business meetings all day. Attendance was mandatory for all employees, regardless of family situations or previously scheduled engagements. If you wanted your significant other to tag along, you had to pay their way.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, it's definitely a nice gesture. I'd much rather be working on a cruise ship than sitting in my office. But the mandatory cruise was in September and was work related so it can hardly be classified as a "Christmas party".
Why do I feel that the cruise was a "write off" and an opportunity for Rick to diddle the help. Was that before or after he hired the out of work strippers?
ReplyDeleteOh Stokes, you are so obvious. Go back to tending your fantasy of a practice.
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age, I would think that most of us should be simply happy that we have a job. For every attorney that I know, I know ten other people, including attorneys that don't have a job. Its time to be thankful for what we got and stop the thinking that we are "entitled" to things.
ReplyDeleteGood hell, here we go with the "entitlement" diatribe again. Nobody is saying they are entitled to anything. Simply talking about what firms are doing. Is this a snoozefest of a topic? Yes. Does it mean everybody thinks they are entitled to something? No.
ReplyDeleteI heard the firm formerly known as KKBRF had a dinner at the managing partner's house. And I had to ask my friend there the most important question, yes open bar.
ReplyDeleteI'm a former KKBRF employee, and I'm not bitter. I heard the Kaempfer Crowell guys had a party at a partner's house with great catered food and an open bar. My source said it was a fun non-stuffy law firm party.
ReplyDeleteJV is not having a Christmas party this year. The staff just hopes they get their bonuses, which are the lowest paid bonuses for Christmas in all of Nevada. The attorneys hope for their small bonuses too. Probably hard to pay out when they only hire stockholders and continually lose associates to do the work.
ReplyDelete@ 8:35 JV does not have the lowest bonuses in NV. There is a small firm in the US Bank bldg where partners have been known to lavish rewards on themselves while giving staff a miserly week's pay.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, a week's pay is way more than the Christmas bonus of JV....
ReplyDelete8:39 I am a former KKBRF employee too and I am in no manner bitter either-I left on my own accord to go with former KKBRF attorneys and good for them that they had a party at the managing partners home. At least they didnt have to put on their "suitcase" personality and put on their "happy" face as was done at last years party
ReplyDeleteAnonymous on Dec 8 should probably cry a little more about working while being forced to stare at beautiful ocean views, traveling in another country, & having his meals catered to him 24/7, all on someone else's bill. How terrible for you that it was in September & that you get a mere party in December. Ok commenters... Everyone else who's been paid to work while on a cruise raise your hand!!! Now, those of you who have your hands raised, lower your hands if you were grateful for it and thought it was amazing that you got to work on a cruise instead of being stuffed in your office. For those of you with your hands still up - next time you don't want to go, how bout you post a comment on here & give your spot to someone who will work their ass off on the cruise & still appreciate it.
ReplyDelete@12:44, I think you missed 2:22's point. He/She was simply saying that the cruise wasn't a Holiday party and this post is dedicated to holiday parties.
ReplyDeleteMy firm is hosting a holiday party at someone's house, complete with good food and an open bar. I'm thankful because I get to leave early that day. Plus I don't have to shell out the cash for the liquor I will need to keep me interested.
As far as I know, LBBS has no holiday bonuses for their employees. In lieu of a holiday party, the firm decided to be generous enough to give its employees Christmas Eve off. Guess what that means for people who have billables? Nothing. No party, no bonus.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they have a separate employee party or not, but I had the pleasure of attending Mainor Eglet Cottle's holiday party this past Friday and they spared few expenses. Like the cocktail napkins weren't monogrammed. Open bar, premium booze, gorgeous venue (vacant penthouse at Queensridge towers).
ReplyDeleteAt a wild guess I'd say at least 70grand, and yeah if I'm an employee I'd love for them to divvy that up amongst the staff. But those employees who bitch about this sort of thing put this as some sort of either/or when it's really not. Bonuses are compensation...budgeted at the beginning of the year based upon expected performance and the pressures of the labor market.
When choosing whether or not to fund a holiday party, owners are not (typically) spending money that would go to staff bonuses, they're spending money that would otherwise be distributed to partners as profit.
Any time someone spends *any* of *their* money on something that *you* benefit from, I think appreciation is appropriate.
As a current Kaempfer Crowell employee, I can tell you that the Christmas Party was hosted by a managing partner, at his home, with some of the best catered food I have ever sampled, along with an open bar, a DJ, party gifts, and transportation for those who had a few too many. The Northern office was flown in for the evening, and provided some pretty decent accommodations at a hotel. I'm not a great fan of the firm, but it was a really good party.
ReplyDelete