Biglaw firms are known for housing their offices in prime real estate offerings, with beautiful views of cityscapes that span for miles. One Am Law 100 firm is using its location for good to help children with sensory processing issues celebrate America’s birthday from a place that’s more attuned to their needs.
Barnes & Thornburg — a firm that brought in $747,226,000 gross revenue in 2024, putting it at No. 73 on the Am Law 100 — is spreading the wealth by using its 33rd floor office space in Columbus, Ohio, to host a fireworks viewing party for the city’s Red, White and BOOM! event for families involved with the Childhood League Center, a local organization that works with young children who have developmental disabilities.
Katrina Thompson, a partner at the firm who also serves as chair of the Childhood League Center’s board, is honored that she’s able to throw the July 4th event for the kids. On top of the great view of the fireworks display, the party will not only have food, games, and activities, but it will also have a quiet room and radio volume control to minimize overstimulation. She recently shared her thoughts on the holiday bash with NBC4 WCMH-TV:
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“We’ve got air conditioning, a little temperature control, there’s restrooms, handicap accessible restrooms that people can use,” said Thompson, who also has a daughter with autism.
She said events like Red, White and BOOM! with large crowds, loud sounds and summer heat can cause families like hers to miss out on the fun.
“This is often a stressful time for families with autism or sensory issues,” Thompson said. “So I like to have this event to really bring the families together to experience and hopefully have a core memory around Red, White and BOOM!”
Congratulations to the Columbus office of Barnes & Thornburg for finding a way to make this holiday event more inclusive for children with special needs.
Downtown law firm providing sensory friendly Red, White & BOOM! experience [NBC4 WCMH-TV]
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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.