10-27-08
According to their website, Fried Frank takes pro bono and charitable work seriously:
"It's an opportunity to reach out to the communities in which we live and work. And an opportunity to give back by providing needed services and solutions to those who might otherwise remain unrepresented.
We are proud to work with individuals and groups across a wide spectrum of practices from domestic violence to civil rights, from criminal prosecution and defense appeals to community development, and from tax to political asylum.
At every level, from partner to summer associate, we apply the same exacting standards to pro bono representations as in everything we do."
Keeping in-line with their pro bono beliefs, the firm will make charitable donations to organizations that rely heavily on contributions during the holiday season, but are sure to be hard hit during the economic downturn. A list of possible charities that might benefit from this decision could not be found.
Typically, Fried Frank holds two holiday parties: The first is a mixer, and attendees include a large chunk of New York's real estate industry crowd, while others fly-in from out of town. A January 2008 article published by The Real Deal, a magazine for real estate professionals, discussed the real estate mixer’s importance, why people attended, and what the party atmosphere was like: "Official estimates had the crowd at just under 1,000, and Fried Frank seemed to have spared little expense. The buffet table included enough tuna tartar, veal ravioli, sushi and seafood to feed an arena, and two full bars flowed with an assortment of fine wine, beer and cocktails."
The second party is usually held a week later and is the main event of Fried Frank's holiday party season. In 2007, the party was held at Cipriani on Wall Street and according to reports was a definite success.
According to a December 2007 article in The New York Observer, law firm parties aren't what they used to be: "In bygone days, the booze-fueled blasts yielded up tales of M&A lawyers making out with each other in darkened corners, partners dancing drunkenly with paralegals young enough to be their daughters…In recent years, however, stories of scandal have become less common. Perhaps guests are more afraid of public embarrassment, now that cellphone [sic] photos of carousing legal eagles can be uploaded to the Internet in minutes."
By some accounts, lawyers don't even enjoy attending these parties. Giving to charity seems to be a great exchange for canceling a party no one wants to go to anyway.
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