ATL Holiday Card Contest: The Finalists!

Which of these law firm holiday cards is the best of 2015? Cast your vote!

Thanks to everyone who submitted nominations for our seventh annual holiday card contest. It’s one of our favorite features each year, our chance to spread Christmas cheer throughout the law firm world.

Before turning to the finalists, we’d like to make three honorable mentions:

1. Levenfeld Pearlstein: It’s not just a holiday card, it’s an “experience.” Here at ATL, we received a locked box via snail mail from Levenfeld Pearlstein (pictured at right; click to enlarge). To open the box (and access the delicious treats inside), we had to get a code, contained in the firm’s holiday card at http://www.fourteenweeks.com/. The video discusses the firm’s support of a great charity, Chicago’s Community Kitchens. To learn more about CCK and find out how you can help, click here.

2. Cozen O’Connor: Just like Levenfeld Pearlstein, Cozen O’Connor also likes to send people delicious things in the mail. As explained in the firm’s heartwarming holiday card, for the last 10 years it has been sending care packages to deployed troops. “Our hope this year is that when viewers see a little bit of how we try to give back, they themselves will take time and give of themselves for others.”

3. Meyers Nave: One nominator praised this card for its “bold, inspirational attitude,” and for “using the holiday platform to make a statement that goes where the legal profession is afraid to go.” Another said, “This card gets 3 Cs — cool, clever, creative. Perfect song. Smart use of penguins to deliver serious message. Actually entertaining and unexpected.” You can check out their card, which touts the firm’s commitment to diversity, here.

Now, here are the eight finalists, in alphabetical order. Please note that most of these cards have SOUND, so you might want to turn your sound off or down, or use headphones (depending on where you are; we decided to run this post late in the day so that more of you will be able to enjoy the music, either because you’re at home or because most of your colleagues have left the office already).

1. Akin Gump: Akin Gump, a two-time winner (2009 and 2013), returns to the finals after a brief hiatus last year. Here’s the firm’s explanation of its latest effort: “In this card, we poke a little fun at the internal holiday card process that law firms go through while keeping the design modern and fresh. The card is meant to bring a smile to the faces of our clients and contacts, while wishing them a very happy holiday.”

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This was my personal favorite among the submissions; it’s the funniest. As one nominator (not at Akin) put it, “Akin Gump does it again with the right mix of humor.” You can check out the card here.

2. Fenwick & West: Five years in the finals for Fenwick. The firm explains, “Fenwick’s 2015 card had a different goal from previous years. We usually try to go for some tech industry nexus, a nod to the geeky side of our firm and our clients. This year, Fenwick and our clients were so busy, we thought it might be nice to share a mental health break, a bit of a pause. So nothing techy in this one; just serenity. I know you admonished us last year about length—this year is 30 seconds shorter, but admittedly still a tad still long. Despite that faux pas, the feedback from clients, and all our attorneys who are sending this with notes of thanks to our clients, seems to be overwhelmingly positive.”

Yes, it is a wee bit long, but it’s very nicely done. See for yourself here.

3. Haynes and Boone: A two-time winner and last year’s champion, HayBoo returns to defend its title: “This season, Haynes and Boone is delighted to offer viewers another virtual voyage into a magical holiday wonderland. Using unique 3D animation techniques and considerable layers of post-production editing, this season’s production features the traditional Haynes and Boone magic holiday dove, and follows its whimsical flight from a bustling urban center to a toy store window, where the dove joins a train set and travels through a holiday town filled with the warmth, cheerfulness, family, and the spirit of what the holidays are all about. We hope you enjoy, and we think you’ll be humming the tune all day after watching it!”

Check out the artistic and elegant card here.

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4. Larson King: This St. Paul-based litigation boutique returns to the finals with a card boasting hand-drawn illustrations that were then animated and set to music. “This whimsical animation tells a Dr. Seuss-esq rhyming story while incorporating holiday cheer and Larson • King’s care for their clients. The winter scenery brings in references to their locale, Saint Paul – Minnesota with recognizable landmarks and buses zooming by with Larson • King advertising on them. The animation is light-hearted and projects a joyful spirit. The script was a collaboration to bring in some clever holiday classic references including Fa la la la Law (get it?) from Deck the Halls.”

Enjoy the LK card, praised by one client as “the best virtual Christmas card ever,” over here.

Flip to the next page for the final four finalists, plus the reader poll….