Roll on Friday report and Above the Law have already picked up on the event .
If Fox pick up on the story they are in big trouble!
Although here at HOB we have to say how about instead, Angus & John close down their Oil & Gas practice and join Richard, Paul & Alan over in Renewables and then they wouldn’t have these worrying decisions about which party themes to go for.
Kathryn Rubino at ATL writes the following (see below) and she is right to a point but she’s missed a chance of discussing a much deeper issue, the fact that also this week a Canadian, Spanish, Algerian or Greek themed party could also be seen as somewhat beyond the pale and instead , maybe just maybe, law firms should be encouraged not to take on the clients whose business and actions are the root causes of these “tragedies”
Next year they can theme an end of the world party.. this comes to mind
Despite Wildfire Tragedy, International Law Firm Decides To Hold Hawaiian-Themed Party
The firm is donating to the Wildfire Relief Fund — it’s the very least they can do.
The scope of the Hawaiian wildfire tragedy continues to grow, with 114 confirmed dead and 850 still missing. Given the loss and devastation, it’s never been more vital to see Maui and the entirety of Hawai’i as more than just a tropical locale for tourists to frolic. Real people, not just some caricature of a vacation hot spot, are the ones suffering right now.
Against this backdrop, Addleshaw Goddard, a global law firm with 1,400 lawyers that’s headquartered in London, is holding a Hawai’i-themed party. In a baffling revelation, the firm told Roll on Friday they thought about seeming insensitive for using Hawaiian identity for their fun times in the face of human suffering, but ultimately gave it a big shoulder shrug and plowed on with their good time:
“In light of the terrible events in Hawaii we of course considered cancelling or trying to re-brand the event”, said the firm, “but decided after great thought and some consultation to go ahead explaining to staff earlier this week that it was not a thoughtless and insensitive decision but one to which we have given considerable thought”.
It’s just… so close to seeing the point, but ultimately it’s a swing and a miss.
The firm did note they’re holding a fundraiser to benefit relief efforts:
“Our thoughts are of course with the people of Maui”, said the firm, and now “a charity raffle will run on the evening with proceeds going to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund and the Addleshaw Goddard Trust has also agreed to match fund”.
Obviously the donation is welcome, but you can’t just write a check and get away with bad taste. The firm denies that employees complained about the inappropriateness of the themed event, saying, “As far as we know, there have been no protestations from staff, certainly none have come to the attention of our senior leadership team.”
But the firm put “great thought” into the event and *still* decided to go with the Hawai’i theme. No one is objecting to a firm party, but out of respect for those dead, injured, and missing, put away the leis and grass skirts. That’s just unnecessary. You can — and should — still donate to the relief effort but opting for a different theme would seem the prudent way forward.
https://abovethelaw.com/2023/08/addleshaw-goddard-hawaii-party/
https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-addleshaw-goddard-defends-hawaii-themed-party
