HALL OF FAME
Holland and Hart LLP - 2007
Holland & Hart Foundation
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill. From conducting clothing, food and toy drives for battered women and orphans to repairing the homes of low-income, elderly citizens, we help those in need. Unlike most law firms, our service goes beyond pro bono cases and individual volunteer hours and donations.
Holland & Hart formed the Holland & Hart Foundation with the goal to build relationships between attorneys and staff, and between offices and practices within the firm. It acts as the “heart” of Holland & Hart by creating opportunities to work side-by-side in our communities. As the first of its kind and a model to other firms, this unique institution enables and empowers Holland & Hart volunteers to make worthwhile contributions to the many communities that sustain us, and to get to know each other in the process. www.hollandhartfoundation.com
Question & Answers with Sam and Jean Guyton
What goal were you trying to achieve? Why was it important?
The idea originally was formed around the question of how to involve retired people in some project that would keep them connected to their firm community. The idea was expanded to the question of how to bridge the gulf between lawyers and staff by creating internal community within the firm. This was important because we wanted to continue to use the talents of retired people and we also wanted to continue the “family culture” of the firm by bringing all its members in nine offices in seven states closer together. As this goal was being formed, it evolved into creating internal community by having lawyers and staff work together in volunteering to work side by side in the outer community.
How did you gather the internal support, resources and personnel to make it happen? Was there resistance?
A committee was formed to investigate the proposal and when the committee presented its findings to management, there was unanimity of support for the idea. The primary selling point was that the Foundation would be a volunteer service organization and not a money granting entity as was the case with many other law firm foundations.
We then formed a Board which included attorneys (e.g., partners, associates, and a member of firm management), staff, retired people and a representative of our families. The idea included volunteering together in our greater communities and financing these projects by community-building events such as bake sales, burrito breakfasts and craft fairs. A Foundation Committee was formed in each office with a varied composition of lawyers (both partners and associates), staff and, where possible, family representatives.
Each office developed its own Foundation programs and the Board of the Foundation provided assistance and encouragement. There have also been some Foundation projects which were regional and firm-wide in nature, thus weaving the fabric of the firm and each office more tightly together. Some offices were already involved with volunteer work, a policy long accepted by the firm, and for these offices the idea was easy.
Other offices were known to be a group of “independent characters” and to organize them into a community was more difficult. Not everyone understood that the goal of the Foundation was building community and that just donating money was an easy thing for attorneys but only created more of a gulf between them and the staff who could not afford to give money. Donating our valuable time was the common denominator which would help bring us together.
What was the most satisfying aspect of making your project a reality?
Each office had its own committee and they researched their communities for the most deserving projects. We also had firm wide projects that involved communication between offices and it was wonderful to see the ideas develop toward a closer community feeling. Individual visits by the two of us as then Foundation officers with all 600 personnel in the firm brought cohesiveness that we had not anticipated. After everyone became aware of the Foundation they took ownership of it and the projects began to change the lives of the givers and recipients. When we heard several young recruits state that the Foundation was the reason they came to the firm, we knew the idea was a reality.
How have you measured the success of your innovation over time?
The number of people helped in our communities is in the thousands for any given year. Planned projects are easily accessible to busy attorneys and their participation increases each year. Attorneys, staff, retired people, as well as families, and even some clients join in Foundation projects, such as gleaning fields, building Habitat houses, working in community gardens, feeding needy children and adults and providing help for individuals and organizations which would otherwise go wanting.
Recently we received this message from an Administrative Partner in one of the firm’s offices about a Foundation Thanksgiving project sponsored by his office for a local family shelter: “I can’t think of another time when we (our office) were all so close. This (project) bonded so many of us together again. The Holland & Hart Foundation’s goal of ‘community’ among ourselves could not have been more exemplified (than on this project)…”.
How have your lawyers, staff and clients responded to this innovative accomplishment?
At a recent Partner Retreat, when asked the question “What are you most proud of at Holland & Hart?”, the answer was “The Holland & Hart Foundation”. Clients have donated money to the Foundation to honor “work well done” by their attorneys. Businesses have helped to contribute products to some of our projects. Staff have mentioned the opportunities to meet and talk with attorneys after hours as they work on projects together. New attorneys, many of them able to choose any top firm in the country, come to Holland & Hart because The Foundation gives them the opportunity to volunteer their valuable time.
What has been the reaction from your competitors, or from the local legal community and media?
The Foundation was the first one of its kind in the country, as far as we know and it has won several national awards and been recognized in articles in a number of publications. We took the idea to a firm client who established a somewhat similar foundation. Also, we assisted another law firm form a volunteer service foundation which is doing extremely well. Other law firms have commented with congratulations and support for what the Foundation is doing and has done.
What advice do you have for others who might wish to make something new happen in their law practice or firm?
The model for this idea can be adapted to any size office but it probably works most effectively when the office is not too large. The personal touch of face to face encounters instead of emails make community members feel more valued. There don’t have to be a lot of projects but they should be varied and time sensitive so busy lawyers and staff have a choice of times and opportunities. Key factors for any new idea are encouraging creativity, recognizing and honoring “the power of one” and providing opportunities appropriate to the situation.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about your experience with this project?
The Holland & Hart Foundation has enhanced the community feeling in the firm and engendered pride at all levels. It has introduced the idea that attorneys take time to work at ground level with less advantaged people in their cities and towns and publicizing this gives the profession a positive image. It has allowed folks from our widespread firm to interact in a unique way and to learn about certain problems they did not know existed in their communities and how they could address them. It has made people more proud to work for the firm. We feel with adaptation this Foundation concept could work for others.
www.hollandhartfoundation.org
www.hollandhart.com
Array
(
[Winners] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 23
[FirstName] => New Family Organization
[LastName] => - 2009
[Title] => Family, Justice and Law Initiative
)
[1] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 22
[FirstName] => Practical Law Company
[LastName] => - 2009
[Title] => Creating Efficiency for Business Lawyers
)
[2] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 19
[FirstName] => Novus Law
[LastName] => - 2008
[Title] => Documenting the E-Discovery Process
)
[3] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 20
[FirstName] => Mallesons Stephen Jaques
[LastName] => - 2008
[Title] => PeopleFinder
)
[4] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 9
[FirstName] => Holland and Hart LLP
[LastName] => - 2007
[Title] => Holland & Hart Foundation
)
[5] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 10
[FirstName] => DLA Piper US LLP
[LastName] => - 2007
[Title] => New Perimeter
)
[6] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 11
[FirstName] => Mallesons Stephen Jaques
[LastName] => - 2007
[Title] => TalentNet
)
[7] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 12
[FirstName] => Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon LLP
[LastName] => - 2007
[Title] => Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel
)
[8] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 13
[FirstName] => DLA Piper Rudnick
[LastName] => - 2005
[Title] => Venture Pipeline
)
[9] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 14
[FirstName] => Simpson Grierson
[LastName] => - 2005
[Title] =>
)
[10] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 15
[FirstName] => Masons
[LastName] => - 2004
[Title] => OUT Law
)
[11] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 18
[FirstName] => Blank Rome LLP
[LastName] => - 2004
[Title] => Comprehensive Training Program
)
[12] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 16
[FirstName] => The Law Chambers of Nicholas Critelli, P.C.
[LastName] => - 2004
[Title] => Work space design
)
[13] => Array
(
[PeopleID] => 17
[FirstName] => Wragge & Co.
[LastName] => - 2004
[Title] => Cost accountability
)
)
[Winner] => Array
(
[FirstName] => Holland and Hart LLP
[LastName] => - 2007
[Title] => Holland & Hart Foundation
[MainNarrative] =>
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill. From conducting clothing, food and toy drives for battered women and orphans to repairing the homes of low-income, elderly citizens, we help those in need. Unlike most law firms, our service goes beyond pro bono cases and individual volunteer hours and donations.
Holland & Hart formed the Holland & Hart Foundation with the goal to build relationships between attorneys and staff, and between offices and practices within the firm. It acts as the “heart” of Holland & Hart by creating opportunities to work side-by-side in our communities. As the first of its kind and a model to other firms, this unique institution enables and empowers Holland & Hart volunteers to make worthwhile contributions to the many communities that sustain us, and to get to know each other in the process. www.hollandhartfoundation.com
Question & Answers with Sam and Jean Guyton
What goal were you trying to achieve? Why was it important?
The idea originally was formed around the question of how to involve retired people in some project that would keep them connected to their firm community. The idea was expanded to the question of how to bridge the gulf between lawyers and staff by creating internal community within the firm. This was important because we wanted to continue to use the talents of retired people and we also wanted to continue the “family culture” of the firm by bringing all its members in nine offices in seven states closer together. As this goal was being formed, it evolved into creating internal community by having lawyers and staff work together in volunteering to work side by side in the outer community.
How did you gather the internal support, resources and personnel to make it happen? Was there resistance?
A committee was formed to investigate the proposal and when the committee presented its findings to management, there was unanimity of support for the idea. The primary selling point was that the Foundation would be a volunteer service organization and not a money granting entity as was the case with many other law firm foundations.
We then formed a Board which included attorneys (e.g., partners, associates, and a member of firm management), staff, retired people and a representative of our families. The idea included volunteering together in our greater communities and financing these projects by community-building events such as bake sales, burrito breakfasts and craft fairs. A Foundation Committee was formed in each office with a varied composition of lawyers (both partners and associates), staff and, where possible, family representatives.
Each office developed its own Foundation programs and the Board of the Foundation provided assistance and encouragement. There have also been some Foundation projects which were regional and firm-wide in nature, thus weaving the fabric of the firm and each office more tightly together. Some offices were already involved with volunteer work, a policy long accepted by the firm, and for these offices the idea was easy.
Other offices were known to be a group of “independent characters” and to organize them into a community was more difficult. Not everyone understood that the goal of the Foundation was building community and that just donating money was an easy thing for attorneys but only created more of a gulf between them and the staff who could not afford to give money. Donating our valuable time was the common denominator which would help bring us together.
What was the most satisfying aspect of making your project a reality?
Each office had its own committee and they researched their communities for the most deserving projects. We also had firm wide projects that involved communication between offices and it was wonderful to see the ideas develop toward a closer community feeling. Individual visits by the two of us as then Foundation officers with all 600 personnel in the firm brought cohesiveness that we had not anticipated. After everyone became aware of the Foundation they took ownership of it and the projects began to change the lives of the givers and recipients. When we heard several young recruits state that the Foundation was the reason they came to the firm, we knew the idea was a reality.
How have you measured the success of your innovation over time?
The number of people helped in our communities is in the thousands for any given year. Planned projects are easily accessible to busy attorneys and their participation increases each year. Attorneys, staff, retired people, as well as families, and even some clients join in Foundation projects, such as gleaning fields, building Habitat houses, working in community gardens, feeding needy children and adults and providing help for individuals and organizations which would otherwise go wanting.
Recently we received this message from an Administrative Partner in one of the firm’s offices about a Foundation Thanksgiving project sponsored by his office for a local family shelter: “I can’t think of another time when we (our office) were all so close. This (project) bonded so many of us together again. The Holland & Hart Foundation’s goal of ‘community’ among ourselves could not have been more exemplified (than on this project)…”.
How have your lawyers, staff and clients responded to this innovative accomplishment?
At a recent Partner Retreat, when asked the question “What are you most proud of at Holland & Hart?”, the answer was “The Holland & Hart Foundation”. Clients have donated money to the Foundation to honor “work well done” by their attorneys. Businesses have helped to contribute products to some of our projects. Staff have mentioned the opportunities to meet and talk with attorneys after hours as they work on projects together. New attorneys, many of them able to choose any top firm in the country, come to Holland & Hart because The Foundation gives them the opportunity to volunteer their valuable time.
What has been the reaction from your competitors, or from the local legal community and media?
The Foundation was the first one of its kind in the country, as far as we know and it has won several national awards and been recognized in articles in a number of publications. We took the idea to a firm client who established a somewhat similar foundation. Also, we assisted another law firm form a volunteer service foundation which is doing extremely well. Other law firms have commented with congratulations and support for what the Foundation is doing and has done.
What advice do you have for others who might wish to make something new happen in their law practice or firm?
The model for this idea can be adapted to any size office but it probably works most effectively when the office is not too large. The personal touch of face to face encounters instead of emails make community members feel more valued. There don’t have to be a lot of projects but they should be varied and time sensitive so busy lawyers and staff have a choice of times and opportunities. Key factors for any new idea are encouraging creativity, recognizing and honoring “the power of one” and providing opportunities appropriate to the situation.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about your experience with this project?
The Holland & Hart Foundation has enhanced the community feeling in the firm and engendered pride at all levels. It has introduced the idea that attorneys take time to work at ground level with less advantaged people in their cities and towns and publicizing this gives the profession a positive image. It has allowed folks from our widespread firm to interact in a unique way and to learn about certain problems they did not know existed in their communities and how they could address them. It has made people more proud to work for the firm. We feel with adaptation this Foundation concept could work for others.
www.hollandhartfoundation.org
www.hollandhart.com
[Images] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[ImagePath] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/1/media.151.jpg
)
[1] => Array
(
[ImagePath] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/2/media.152.jpg
)
[2] => Array
(
[ImagePath] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/3/media.153.jpg
)
)
[Ads] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[ResourceImage] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/0/media.160.jpg
[ResourceTitle] => Ad-Inside Counsel
[ResourceURL] => http://www.insidecounsel.com
)
[1] => Array
(
[ResourceImage] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/8/media.158.jpg
[ResourceTitle] => Ad-Law.com
[ResourceURL] => http://www.law.com
)
[2] => Array
(
[ResourceImage] => http://www.innovactionaward.com/media/pnc/3/media.163.jpg
[ResourceTitle] => Ad-LexisNexis
[ResourceURL] => http://www.lexisnexis.com
)
)
)
)
