ATL Field Trip: The Battle of the Law Firm Bands (Part 2)
The members of Dangerous Communication Device (Williams & Connolly), celebrating their victory.
Last night we reported on the Battle of the Law Firm Bands, held last week in Washington, DC. The evening raised over $80,000 for Gifts for the Homeless, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization supported by the city’s legal community to help the homeless.
Eleven bands competed, and one was victorious: Dangerous Communication Device, from Williams & Connolly. They won by raising more money than any other band: over $15,000. (The vote was conducted “Chicago-style,” with each vote requiring a dollar contribution to GFTH.)
Read our interview with the band, after the jump.
Dangerous Communication Device has five members: partners Philip Sechler, Thomas Ward, and Paul Hourihan; associate Ken Brown; and paralegal David Gerkin. Phil Sechler noted with pride that the band is composed entirely of folks from Williams & Connolly. “One hundred percent of the band is from the firm,” said Sechler. “We have no ringers.”
The band prepared with an arduous schedule of eight rehearsals before the big night. How did they settle on what songs to play? According to Tom Ward, they hashed out their choices through vigorous internal debate, weighing all the strategic issues — which is exactly what you’d expect from a bunch of Williams & Connolly lawyers.
“Everyone advocated for their favorite song,” Ward explained. In the end, the band wound up with a set of six. They began with a cover of Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” and concluded with REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” — an appropriate selection, given the turmoil engulfing Biglaw.
(But Williams & Connolly, as a small, elite, litigation-focused shop, may be relatively immune to the downturn. It was crowned by ATL readers as Biglaw’s safest law firm — an honor that did not go unnoticed at 725 Twelfth Street, according to Sechler.)
This is just the second year that Williams & Connolly has competed in the battle of the bands, but it’s also their second victory. This is perhaps not surprising, given the firm’s track record in the courtroom. As one of you noted last night, “Of course Williams & Connolly won. They win everything.”
What’s the secret to DCD’s success? According to Sechler, “We rock like we try cases — with a lot of deliberation and showmanship.”
Earlier: ATL Field Trip: The Battle of the Law Firm Bands (Part 1)
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Comments
I wonder if Bob Dell masturbates to memories of laying off half the first year class in NY after telling them there's a place for them at Latham & Watkins.
It's Phil Sechler.
third
It's "Sechler," not "Seckler." But otherwise a well-written post (a rarity these days on ATL).
"If these firms didn't hire only white males, perhaps we could have shaken our bajungas to the sweet sound of salsa music."
-- SotomayOR!
2 / 4 - Fixed.
1, I wonder if bob and dave reminisce and trade handjobs over this.
*vomits*
I heard their Boy George cover was superb.
DAAAAAAVVVEEEE GOOOOORRRRDOOOOOONNNN!!!!!!!
WHHHHYYYYY???!!!!! WHHHHYYYYYY???!!!!
MY SUPERVISORS SAID I DID GOOD WORK!!!!!!!!!!
Nice post Lat.
They won because the raised the most money. If it's all about the cash, can we say they were the best or only that they have deeper pockets?
FYI -- The Seattle law firm battle of the bands, known as Lawyerpalooza (TM), has been going since 2003 raising money for local elementary school music programs.