As a “culinary Jew” (my family shows up for the food), I was out of the office yesterday so I could join my extended family for lunch. They came from synagogue. We came from the Westside. This side of my family are my mom’s paternal relatives. These are my second cousins. Growing up we got together twice a year as a clan: Rosh Hashanah and Chanukkah, along with funerals, and selected bar mitvah’s and weddings (depending on how close our parents were as first cousins). Growing up, it seemed to me that there were a hundred or more of us at these family parties. What I remember most is the warmth and comfort I found there, and, of course, the food. My grandmother’s kugle, Aunt Sophie’s mendel bread (which I do have the recipe somewhere in my files). There was security in those family traditions. As I sat around a table with some of my second cousins yesterday, we lamented the passing of one of our parents’ cousins, and how a couple others did not come due to personal excuses (not reasons, excuses, yeah, we gossiped). I couldn’t help but think about how special those years were when my grandparents generation was still alive, especially in light of how my mother’s generation is aging and passing away. As we were leaving, my cousin thanked me for taking off work to be with them. Of course. I don’t know how long this magic will last, and I want to capture as much of it as I can. So where am I going here? Last week, sitting in the conference room going over the new benefits and paperwork, we began by introducing ourselves and how long we have been with the firm. With my seven years as marketing director, I was one of the newbies. And this is across all departments, from the attorneys, to the office service representatives. I have worked in enough law firms and corporations to know that, especially in today’s business climate, this is very unique. This is a part of our culture. It is a culture that began with Mr. Barger, and continues today. Simply because our signage, business cards, and log-ins will change next Wednesday, it doesn’t mean we won’t be bringing aspects of our culture with us, because this is a part of who we, as a firm, are. Like any marriage, or a move, now is a great time to let go of some things that didn’t work, embrace new ideas and ways of doing things, and learn to blend together things from each firm that are great. This goes for both firms, as well as individual departments, and people. So what’s on tap today:

  • Firm history written and sent to a couple partners for input and feedback.
  • Redirect of website ready to happen.
  • Shipping a little something-something out to the offices for Wednesday morning.
  • Getting the blogs ready for the transition (logo, adding Hinshaw to the authors, etc).
  • Finishing off a couple practice group descriptions for the new website.
  • Pulled all the current bios off the website and archived them because, yes, someone will ask next Wednesday, “Can I see my old bio?”
  • Yes. I am still herding bios, but making progress.

Tip: Where there is magic, don’t let that go. Identify it. Embrace it. Share it.