Law Firm Vendors Association - January Newsletter

With 2019 starting to wind down, the LFVA kicked off the holiday season with a memorable event at the Conrad Hotel! The Conrad is starting to earn a reputation as one of DC’s premier hotel and meeting centers and those that attended the event know why. The food was delicious, the venue stunning and the company, as always, was exceptional! Thank you to the Events Committee for the tireless work they put into organizing these remarkable gatherings.

I also want to thank Lori DiCesare and the charities committee for their work in selecting this year’s charity, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. Michael McDonald, Regional Vice President of Government Relations, briefly addressed the crowd and spoke groups mission of providing safe and fun after school environments with positive role models. At the LFVA we certainly support such a noble and needed cause.

It was with great sadness that we announced the departure of one of our most respected members. Steve Martin, of Gensler. Steve is retiring at the end of 2019 after over 30 years working with the legal community. While Steve wasn’t one of the original members, he did join our group shortly after we were founded, and has been an active member ever since. As I mentioned at the event, Steve’s membership in the LFVA elevated the whole group. His personality, willingness to help and well thought out council made us better and he will be sorely missed. I personally want to thank him contributions to the LFVA and my family. Thank you Steve and we all wish you well as you transition into retirement!

On behalf of the LFVA, I hope everyone has a prosperous 2020. We thank you for your support of our member companies over all these many years. I wish you all well in the upcoming decade and hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday!

LFVA Holiday Party

December 2020 LFVA Happy Hour

This year the LFVA kicked off the holiday season by hosting their annual party on December 3 ^rd at the beautiful Conrad Hotel in City Center. As always, it was great seeing old friends and new getting together, enjoying good food and a festive atmosphere.

The evening’s festivities commenced in a ballroom on the second floor of the hotel that overlooked the Christmas tree and holiday decorations in City Center.

The Conrad was so named for the hotel conglomerate’s founder, Conrad Hilton. As a young boy in the New Mexican desert town of San Antonio, Hilton helped his father turn the family’s large adobe house into an inn for traveling salesmen. By 1915 he was president as well as partner in the A.H. Hilton and Son General Store. After serving a term in World War I and his father’s death in 1918, Hilton sought to continue expansion of the family business. While in Texas to negotiate the purchase of a bank, he bought the Mobley Hotel. Finding the hotel business lucrative, he bought others in Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, and elsewhere in Texas. In 1946 the Hilton Hotels Corporation was formed, followed in 1948 by the Hilton International Company, as he expanded operations to other countries. In 1954 Conrad Hilton bought the Statler Hotel chain and the rest, as they say, is history.

The featured food of the evening was casual and included passed hors d’oeuvres, prime rib and turkey serving stations, and a beautiful epicurean charcuterie bar at the center of it all. There were decadent desserts, signature cocktails, and a melodic pianist that set the mood for the evening.

Photos

Steve Martin Retires - Gensler

STEVE MARTIN RETIRES

It is bittersweet for me to let everyone know that the time has come for me to retire after 40 years of architectural practice and almost two decades at Gensler. I am so proud to finish my career at this firm, which has given me so many incredible opportunities to work with amazing clients, and an awesome group of colleagues and friends in the legal industry.

I am looking forward to spending time with my wife, my children, and with my grandchildren, traveling for fun, hitting the gym, and picking up on some of my favorite things to do that I have not had time for, such as playing the organ and serving at church, participating in mission trips, sailing, honing watercolor skills, and deepening friendships.

I am so proud and thankful to have been a member of the LFVA and have the opportunity to work alongside such a committed and supportive group of professionals, dedicated to providing the highest level of service to our collective clients. My colleagues, Antonello Musumeci, Elena Fiammengo and Jessica Maxson will continue to represent Gensler as members of the LFVA. I hope to be able to attend some of the LFVA events in the future to be able to stay in touch with all of you!

As an Architect, I am certainly proud of the office designs we have created together, but it is my relationships with all of you - my clients, colleagues and industry partners that I treasure the most. I will be retired as of January 1 ^st , 2020.

Thank you all so much for your partnership, support, encouragement and friendship over the years!

Blessings,

Steve