Last year, I covered Seward & Kissel’s annual Ugly Sweater Contest from afar. This year, the firm offered me the opportunity to engage in authentic participatory journalism as a member of the judging panel. Perched at the end of a runway in the firm’s lobby conference room, watching well over 100 of the firm’s lawyers and staff either crowd into the room or poke their heads in from the standing room overflow in the hall, it becomes abundantly clear that, at this point, calling this an “ugly sweater contest” is like calling the Super Bowl a “football game.” Technically accurate, but unable to capture the proceedings.
Because this is Seward & Kissel we’re talking about — a firm that thrives on “extra” when it comes to culture — the sweater contest has evolved beyond a parade of garish jumpers into a full-blown costume pageant. Themed floor entries! Coordinated performances! Floats!
FLOATS!
Partner Steve Nadel once again helmed the proceedings, informing the judges that multiple competitors had privately assured him that they were confident that they would win this year. The confidence wasn’t misplaced, with banger after banger of themed productions: a tribute to Christmas Vacation, a fully committed Whoville encounter complete with Grinch, and a Holiday Culkin Mashup weaving together Home Alone and Succession.
In the end though, the 19th floor extended its winning streak with a Peanuts tribute that rolled down the runway behind a literal rolling cart. A makeshift float pushing the floor’s designated Schroeder down the runway as he banged away at a miniature red piano. It was absurd and delightful in all the expected ways. Charlie was, we can confirm, unable to kick the football.
At a time when firms across Biglaw are wrestling with return-to-office policies, Seward & Kissel is putting equal effort into asking the more important question: what if people actually wanted to come to work?
An annual sweater contest isn’t the lynchpin that brings people into the office four days out of the week all year. But seeing an annual event like this as an isolated affair misses the point. This crowd doesn’t gather in numbers like these without pre-existing, constantly cultivated esprit de corps. And that culture doesn’t form without a willingness to regularly break outside the box and build a record-breaking miniature golf hole. It’s a virtuous cycle that makes then office more pleasant the rest of the year.
After the event, one refugee from another Biglaw firm that I won’t call out here told me that they actually look forward to going into the office for the first time in their career. Meanwhile, a client who joined me on the panel made a point of noting that the firm’s culture noticeably spills over into the client experience. Happy lawyers, it turns out, provide better service. Revolutionary concept.
Not everyone is built for participating in a holiday pageant — and that’s fine. The number of spectators proved that even the more reserved folks appreciated the spectacle. But whether they were watching along or fully suited up as a cartoon character, everyone wanted to be involved. There’s a place for return-to-office mandates, but firms shouldn’t overlook the carrot half of the carrot and stick equation.
The 19th floor’s mini-dynasty continues. The rest of the firm has a year to plot their responses.
Good luck.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
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