Ha ha... first!

Does Dewey realize that New York State has dram shop liability? Real stupid move on their part.

Horrific liability. They DO practice law, no? Incredibly stupid.

Our firm circulated an e-mail, which basically said that anyone who drinks too much should take a cab and expense it to the firm...of course, duh, who's going to do that and have to own up to it on Monday? Easier to pay for your own cab. But the firm gets a break on potential liability.

do NYCers have cars? i don't know many who commute by car.

doesn't seem like a big deal. they probably will reimburse the cab anyway.

Liability issues????? Are you a lawyer idiot??????? They're not serving the booze are they?????

Guys at my high school got wasted at parties and stumbled home by themselves all the time, it was no big deal.

NYC to taxis after my drinks!

Yeah, just unwise but...I dunno, it's really not so hard to get a cab, even during holiday season. Just walk a block or two away.

Doesn't "provide for your own transportation home" not exclude the person driving himself?

Who's the man now, Tommy?

any support staff hotties are welcome to come home with me

The more interesting tidbit is the banning of "spouses" or "guests" (read ‘girlfriends’).

That + booze always makes an "interesting"** law firm party.

[** Divorces, new marriages, sexual intrigue, and the partner with the ruddy face when he is drinking hitting on everything that moves.]

This is only meant to punish the support staff, who live in the boondocks and for whom a $40 taxi ride would be a budget issue.

This is the biggest non-story ever. NYC to $190!

George? Is that you? I thought we talked about this.

What really sucks is that they're too cheap to pay for spouse or significant others.

C'mon, a holiday party without wives, husbands, and s.o.'s is a way for the employees to break loose and have promiscuous anonymous sex with staff...

Wait a minute...

"Perhaps they will leave the festivities earlier than usual this year and take mass transit."

Mass transit in NYC is 24-hours. No need to leave the festivities earlier.

Are they supposed to get over a thousand cars? Of course they can't drive everyone home.

I can see no-cabs as a valid, if somewhat stingy cost-cutting measure, but the no-spouses goes too far.

So now we're talking about perks of perks?

Don't most biglaws host 2 parties? One inclusive of staff and another for attorneys. I think it is unreasonable to expect chauffeur service for the big party that includes everyone.

NYC Sullivan & Cromwell provided transportation AND allowed for guests.

I rarely see my wife as it is because of work. I dont want to have to spend a night away from her because of a party. No wonder partners are always getting divorced. They dont know jack shit about being a good spouse.

3:44 & 3:47 yes - the general party, you can't invite spouses; for the attorney only party, you can.

In NYC, you don't need a towncar - I don't feel too bad for them on that point. But no spouses? No freaking way I would show up to that party...

This is why people hate lawyers. What a bunch of self-entitled brats. Seriously, you can't spring for your own cab home? Jesus

see, the excluding spouses and SOs makes sense to me-- that woul dbe 1200 people, and there are few spaces that could accomodate a group that size.

But the car thing seems easy to plan out, especially if you ask people to form groups ahead of time to make it more efficient-- i.e. everyone who lives within two blocks of columbus circle into the same three cars when the party ends, at ten, unless they're staying later... Everyone who lives in williamsburg into the same five cars, on the condition that they first take an acid bath so the driver isn't subjected to four different hispter colognes.

see, the excluding spouses and SOs makes sense to me-- that woul dbe 1200 people, and there are few spaces that could accomodate a group that size.

But the car thing seems easy to plan out, especially if you ask people to form groups ahead of time to make it more efficient-- i.e. everyone who lives within two blocks of columbus circle into the same three cars when the party ends, at ten, unless they're staying later... Everyone who lives in williamsburg into the same five cars, on the condition that they first take an acid bath so the driver isn't subjected to four different hispter colognes.

The funny thing is that the ATL grabs onto the firm not paying for a cab, but glosses over the fact that spouses are not welcome. Just what I want to do with my holiday--leave my S.O. at home and party it up with everyone I work with. Now *that's* crazy.

The presumption for these events is that a car service is provided, but in this case, too many people will be attending, so they're telling people that they'll have to get their own cabs or take the subway. This isn't about drunk people driving. No one drives to work in the city. This is so retarded! Just take a cab!

this is a useless story. The part you should be talking about is the ban on spouses.

Dewy Louie's move seems to be somewhat reasonable. No one drives their own car in NYC anyway and a cab isn't that expensive.

Excluding spouses and significant others is a brilliant idea. After joining two firms, there is a very serious need to merge the culture and personel between the two offices. Having spouses will make it even more difficult for people to meet their new coworkers. As is, the place will still self-segregate into a dewey group and a louie group. Whether the culture merges by having people chat with one another or partners and associates trying to pick up people from the other camp, they're more likely to integrate this way. Further, no free rides means people will probably share cabs and get to know each other a bit more. . .

WilmerHale allows everyone to bring a guest and they provide transportation home.

Monday? MONDAY??

I think the email is very well written and reasonable. I love big law and small purses!

Cleary also allows everyone to bring a guest and provides car service home.

as others have posted, the "no significant others" rule is probably more about space than being cheap.

throwing the party on a monday is about being cheap.

Guys at my high school used to throw holiday parties all the time where they provided transportation AND allowed for guests, it was no big deal.

From 6PM-10PM--how is an associate supposed to get there in time?

Monday = the big story

no spouses/guests makes the party more fun....you don't have to introduce your guest to everyone...instead you can just hang with your friends like you did when you were summers.

Shit, they are paying for "a full bar, raw bar, carving stations and a DJ", but they can't spring for cabfare on the firm? For shame. Wonder what their CGL policy limits are - $1 million? $5 million?

And yeah - having the party on a Monday and excluding spouses/SO's is pretty TTT.

I suspect the Monday party is a result of the Q3 merger announcement and the "last to the races" nature of venue selection. More importantly, how many of your significant others would want to go to a Firm party, anyway?

I've been to 7 holiday parties now at my Firm, and they've always provided for cars home for everyone there. My Firm has 500+ NY attorneys too, so the number including staff could easily be over 1,000. Never been a problem.

And as far as I know, Skadden, DPW and every other NY firm pays for cars home.

If you read between the lines here, this email is really just a way for them to exclude support staff, because they likely live in the outer boroughs and their car rides home would be very expensive compared to attorneys' who mostly live in the city.

Guys in my high school would take care of all "Do-we eat the-beef" attorneys' spouses because they weren't invited to the holiday party all the time, it was no big deal.

By the way, I'd also venture to say that exclusion of guests is pretty standard.

3:52(1) -- agree. Poor babies make 160+ and have to pay for a cab ride. boo fucking hoo.

As for the liability, what idiot thinks that if someone invites you to a party and doesn't transport you back to you nice warm bed that he has somehow breeched a duty? Get real.

hey Special K at 3:43--you're forgetting the staff that live on l.i., westchester or nj? transportation only runs 24 hrs within nyc's 5 boros. it's really going to suck for them to get home without spending a bundle...

bring a significant other to a work party is more of a hastle than its worth. You dont get to enjoy their company, you have to introduce them to everyone you talk to and meet everyone else's significant others also. Just a waste of time if you ask me. On the plus side, it is interesting to see who has a hot trophy wife or girlfriend.

I'm a Los Angeles associate whose firm's party allowed guests (I brought 2) but didn't provide for transportation. I never for a second thought it was the firm's responsibility to do so, and I don't even live in a mass transit city.

Stop whining!

Willkie doesn't allow spouses/guests for the all-firm holiday party, but for the attorney-only party in the spring, spouses/guests are welcome.

Only losers go to firm Christmas parties. HTH.

Guys at my TTT law school shared an El Camino to go home every night since the tuition was so high and the job prospects were so low, it was no big deal.

a lot of support staff go unrecognized, so they should just provide transportation for them. the partners and associates can afford their rides home.

Ok. just to clarify a few things. Spouses have NEVER been invited to the Dewey party, so this is certainly not a change from prior years (although it hasn't stopped some from bringing them anyway). Maybe it was different on the LeBoeuf side of things.

Second, all of us drunk associates will be able to find our way home without too much hassle, but I have it on good authority (read: my secretary) that most of the support staff are pretty much going to skip it now.

As if you need more time away from your spouse and spent with your least close friends in the world. Why would you want to go to this without your spouse?

4:18(1) -- It is true that LIRR/NJT/MetroNorth aren't 24 hours. However, the party ends at 10 PM. Everything is still running at 10.

4:20, you know nothing.

4:23, 4:24 - Maybe the firm does this to prevent support staff from attending? None of the attorneys really want them there anyway.

So let me get this straight. The supposedly top law firms in NYC (and, therefore, the world) throw parties where you can't bring a guest?? LOL...why not just have everyone work an additional 4 hours that day????

Holy crap, the legal profession is even more budget than I thought.

Before law school, I spent a year as a para at a mid-sized firm. After our holiday party, there was a long wait for cars. Being an impatient, arrogant, 22-year-old, I brashly told a partner's secretary who was in charge of procuring cars that I was tired of waiting and was taking public transportation. Being a typical matronly partner's secretary from Staten Island or Brooklyn, and seeing I was very drunk, she tried to persuade me to stay. I replied that I was just fine getting home, since I had grown up in the NYC area and knew my way around, not like "one of these idiot kids from Minnesota". I then stormed off. I wound up passing out on the subway. I woke up somewhere in deepest, darkest Brooklyn. Getting home from there was not fun.

To me, it is much bigger deal that the party is on a MONDAY and that you can't bring a spouse/gf/bf than that they aren't providing cars.

How am I supposed to hop on my secretary at the after party if I bring my spouse/GF?

I don't understand why anyone would go to a party when it's just going to be coworkers. That would be boring enough in an interesting profession. But to be surrounded all night by fellow law talkers who I can barely tolerate during work hours? Pass.

If the party would be too big to invite guests/spouses, then I think they should have made the party smaller by breaking it up - holiday party for the litigation ppl at del frisco's on monday and holiday for transactional ppl on tuesday at tao or whatever.

then have a firm wide new year's party with no spouses.

too controversial to not invite the spouses. imo!

I'm just a law student, but it seems to me like lawyers and law students are possibly some of the most spoiled, bourgeiouse, disconnected from reality people in our society. A law firm is not providing special cars home for a holiday party they are throwing and people are complaining!!!??!! Grow up!!! People in America are starving, losing their homes and jobs, no healthcare, etc... and you guys are whining like some pampered assholes. This is the reason people think of lawyers as pampered, greedy, assholes. Most people will kill to even be invited to a party with an open bar. If a law firm is making you work too hard such that you can't see your family and it is hurting your life, that is something to complain about. But this is pathetic.

The sad part is, I know I am going to get a stream of negative comments at me and people trying to rationalize as to why its OK to complain about DLB's decision to not hire personal drivers for their lawyers.

4:18, what about hot trophy boyfriends or husbands?

If the party would be too big to invite guests/spouses, then I think they should have made the party smaller by breaking it up - holiday party for the litigation ppl at del frisco's on monday and holiday for transactional ppl on tuesday at tao or whatever.

then have a firm wide new year's party with no spouses.

too controversial to not invite the spouses. imo!

Cheap. No two ways about it. Cheap.

Why aren't none of you Americans talking about the beating me man Ricky Hatton put on your Pussy Boy Floyd Mayweather this weekend?? Wankers.

Law students/lawyers who went straight from undergrad to law school are clueless. In the real world - i.e., at major companies - only employees are invited to holiday parties. Dates/spouses/SOs, are not invited. It would be too many people.

I work at Dechert, which throws a pretty nice party at the Waldorf. Guests are invited but rides home are not paid for by the firm -- we, too, are on our own after 5 hours of open bar.

4:47:

Shut up. Obviously you are in law school, which excuses your vitriol. Go back to your books and study so that you can pull off a B- in corporations at your TTT law school.

If a firm is interesting in retaining their attorneys, they should think long and hard about what they can do to make the spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends supportive of their attorney's careers.

I would venture to say that a wife pressuring her husband to quit his job because she never gets to see him (or go to holiday parties) is a powerful motivator.

Whereas, a wife who is placated by holiday parties, could be the law firm's biggest ally.

WTF is the point of a party with only your co-workers in attendance????? That's called WORK.

i used to work at a crappy insurance defense firm. they provided cars AND they never had a party on a monday. ghetto.

4:58: Here, here. Just b/c you're getting drunk, doesn't mean you like your bosses or co-workers any more. It also doesn't mean your kids understand why you're not home on a weeknight.

cravath excludes spouses as well. it is mostly a space thing - as it always is for you fools who don't know any better. These party places just don't hold 2000 people. Give me a break. But it's one hell of a party so who really cares.

oh and by the way, the no car thing is sheer jackassery.

Gallion OUT!

4:47, you know nothing.

4:47: You're going to get a stream of negative comments because you're a douche bag. Please apply this lesson to your real life. K? Thx.

Also: bourgeoisie.

to 4:46

Tao is ghetto. Gross.

4:47: I'm not going to offer any rationalizations. I'm sticking with ad hominem: You're stupid. Shut up.

Listen, I don't care about not being able to bring my life partner, or about getting home safely. That's not what matters. Does anyone know if DL will be serving onion rings? Preferably the beer battered ones??? Come on, priorities, people!

Listen, I don't care about not being able to bring my life partner, or about getting home safely. That's not what matters. Does anyone know if DL will be serving onion rings? Preferably the beer battered ones??? Come on, priorities, people!

PS- How about wings??? My life partner LOVES wings...wait, she can't even come, nevermind.

4:56, I guarantee go to a better law school than you and I am probably doing better than you did.

5:07, stop trying to be cool, you're not

5:09, If I am a douche, then youre a smelly vag. using big words is douchey when you can say the same thing in regular words. Using big words isn't douchey when no other words will describe the thought. If thinking that lawyers complaining about car service is pathetic, then i'd rather be a douche that whatever you are.

Dewey Defeats Purpose Of Holiday Party

Please rest assured, Hungry Girl. There will be a full selection of battered and deep friend finger foods. However, should our selections not meet your expectations, feel free to visit a local Wendy's or Burger King to purchase an appetizer of your choice. Please submit a receipt to your secretary, along with the appropriate requisition forms, and you will be reimbursed within two pay cycles.

Now you don't have to worry about finding a ride because your uninvited spouse can pick you up!

4:47/5:21: You're apparently too dumb to know when to stop talking. That's a great characteristic in a lawyer.

Dewey Defeats Support Staff Expectations

A cheapskate holiday party as a reward for being miserable all year was my safety.

Now you don't have to worry about finding a ride because your uninvited spouse can pick you up!

dewey and leboeuf ain't that bad...i'm a secretary at the lb side and they treat us real nice. those young lawyer girls are always so pretty and they always say good morning, lynn. and all those cute little gay boys i work with are even sweeter. like i always say, they don't care one lick how fat or old i am. they think i'm FABULOUS. and the partners are nice, too. some of them even know my name, and one of them even brought my a snickers bar last week for my birthday. so before you go getting all huffy and puffy, remember that you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. it's downright rude.

5:16 and 5:18, unless your man likes more cushion for the pushin, I would suggest laying off the rings and wings :)

Dewey Defeats The Hundred-Comment Barrier!

5:23, I'm sorry your stepdad spanked you when you were little.

5:25, actually I used to model for Elite before I got into this whole law thing. I was just hired by DL this past summer. I don't know if its the stress of the job or the freedom to eat what I want now, but I have never loved my body the way I do now. I mean, its a bit harsh going from 98 lbs to 123 lbs (I'm 5'9), but I am proud of myself and I look good no matter what. And by the way, my GIRLfriend loves to feel up on my booty. So, I will not be laying off the rings and wings, but thanks for the suggestion.

Sidley's NY party provided transportation and +1's.

oh NOES!!! can i has a ride to yonkers pleaze?

Hungry Girl- you sound hot!

Hey Hungry Girl...I don't care what that douche says about your cushion, I'll take you to Burger King and I won't even bother getting a receipt. How 'bout it?

Hungry Girl - you're making me hungry. If you want a break from your life partner routine let's meet at the downstairs carving station. I'll bring the onion rings!

Also, do I get a special award for posting first and one hundredth? That's freaking awesome.

I know Do-me and LaBeef is a big place, but if Hungry Girl is for real she would have just outed herself, she would stand out like a sore thumb at any large law firm giving a detailed description like that.

5:40, i am.

5:44....Your so right...I know who she is. and believe you me, she's real pretty. i better tell her how this thing works. she doesn't want to get in trouble, especially because she's so pretty.

5:44, yeah well guess what? I stand out like a sore thumb already...b.c I'm pretty. Keep hating!!!! It only makes me look better.

Hey Hungry Girl...I'm about to head to Au Bon Pain for some soup. Wanna do me the honors?

5:46 is Hungry Girl an attorney, project assistant, secretary, or what???

Honey...She's a first year, so I think that's why she's acting a fool on here. (And to think, she even went to Harverd Law...Goes to show you that some big school won't automatically make you smart.)

6:18: WRONG

Dewey Defeats Hungry Girl Diet Plan

6:18, here is what I know. I know I'm Lisa. I know I'm hungry. I know that Real Angry is not me, but dislikes me as much as you do. And I know you're both ugly. So, I guess all that's left to say is: CASE CLOSED AND COURT IS ADJOURNED.

Dearest Children of the Law,

I hope that this exercise has revealed to you the futility and vanity of complaining about such insignificant concerns. I trust that the universe has taught you that exposing your sense of entitlement opens you up to ridicule and mockery, as evidenced by Hungry Girl, Real Angry, and others. Mind you, you quibble over a cab ride when millions will go to bed tonight hungry and ill. Perspective is a quality sorely lacking in many who make up this thread.

Best wishes,
Wisdom

I would rather be able to bring my spouse than get a ride home.

I would rather be able to ride your spouse home.

I heard Foley already had their party this year. Support staff went to house of blues, attorneys had a sit down black tie dinner. I would rather go to HOB.

Oh please, Wisdom, and the whiny law student kid from earlier. You miss the point entirely. No one likes being nickel and dimed. And when you're choosing to sacrifice a large part of your life for something as meaningless as what we do, you have a right to be compensated. So when law firms start expecting champagne on a beer budget, it is pretty pathetic and indicative of their larger compensation and quality of life issues. When you work 60-100 hour weeks consistently, then come talk to the rest of us. We simply want to be paid for the work we perform and little things like this make a difference. I don't doubt that anyone of us would LOVE to switch over to an hourly compensation scheme. Many of us would cost our firms a fortune and they know this which is why they pay salaries and not per hour yet bill clients on a per hour basis. We know this and choose to accept it, but let's not forget that a large part of our work directly results in huge money for partners, so when they decide to be stingy to the very people that generate their compensation, it is truly pathetic.

Take your entitlement crap to France or some other socialized country. Let those of us that can produce, do just that. People like you are the true leeches in this society with your self-righteous rhetoric that demands charity at the expense of those of us who insist upon free exchange of payment for goods. We'd only be entitled if we were demanding to be paid and not earning every goddamn dime of it.

Wisdom: In the time it took you to write that meaningful post, you wasted time you could have been working at a soup kitchen. You're an awful person. Get some perspective.

This isn't about feeling entitled or whining when we have a lot of money anyway - it's about competition. If all the other firms offer cars home, D & L has to do so as well, or they're subpar, and they will be perceived as such. That's all there is to it.

omg...i can't believe that someone actually got upset at the 'wisdom' posting. it was obviously tongue-in-cheek. please, as much as i would like to bring my wife to this party and get a free ride home, i can't believe that people are getting so worked up. sigh.

I would rather be able to bang my spouse than get a ride home.

Whenever I need to laugh and feel better about myself, I know right where to come...

I would rather be able to hang my spouse than get a ride home.

did we ever resolve the onion ring issue?

No spouses is "par for the course" for NY biglaw? I'm kind of shocked. I guess that's "old school," but I've never heard of a CA firm not allowing everyone -- from partners down to mailroom dudes -- to bring a guest to the holiday party. I wonder if the NY firms change that rule for their CA offices?

Hey...If you're taking orders, get me one of those onion loaf things they sell at Outback. That s**t is good.

I work at a big NYC firm in California office (Silicon Valley office). Not only are we allowed to bring guests to our party (granted our party is a lot smaller than the mothership's in NYC), the firm is arranging for car service to work in the morning the day of the holiday party and home from the holiday party that evening. Since many of us live in San Francisco, it's not cheap (i.e. cab ride one way would be about $120).

I liked it better when we were talking about onions and the great food products that are born from said divinity.

hey! i want some jalapeno poppers, too.

i really wish they'd let sizzler cater the event. with the money saved, they could easily afford to drive us home.

Have you ever had the corn fritters from sizzler? That stuff is so good I could douche with that!

no way...i'd rather have my babyback-babyback-baby back ribs.

when i was a kid, mcdonald's used to bring this big truck to our school and feed the kids out a window on the side. i say we just have them pull up 6th ave...if we're lucky, ronald might make an appearance.

Hungry Girl at DL? Yeah, right. I think I'd notice a former Elite model roaming the halls...unless Elite lowered its standards. But I'd certainly notice someone that arrogant.