Hanukkah is here, Christmas is nearly upon us, and everyone in the legal profession is ready to ring in the New Year, so it’s finally time to reveal the six finalists for our seventeenth annual holiday card contest. But first let’s give shout-outs to some honorable mentions (click on each firm’s name to see its card):
1. Armond Wilson: Yet another fantastic card “some of the cleverest IP litigators in the universe” — this firm was gunning for its third honorable mention in a row, and here it is! Inspired by the beloved Charlie Brown Christmas Special, this card features firm founder Michelle Armond channeling Lucy to dispense IP litigation help.
2. Capua Law: This card comes complete with some stereotypical lawyerly edits that you need to see for yourself to have a little chuckle.
3. Diaz Trade Law: “Who even heard of a tariff before 2025?! Customs attorneys have really been through the wringer this year. Somehow they still found the time to put together this epic holiday card.” A card featuring Santa trying to get around tariffs? Say less!
And now, the six finalists, in alphabetical order. Again, click on each firm’s name to view its card. Please note that most of these cards have SOUND, so you might want to turn your sound off or down, or use headphones. Explanatory comments come from firm representatives unless indicated.
1. Butler Snow: After winning this competition in 2023 and 2024, this firm is back with yet another memorable holiday card. Can you say threepeat? From the nominator: “This year we set out to answer some of the most pressing holiday legal questions. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you could sue someone for giving you another fruitcake, or if you’ve ever thought about using municipal bonds to finance a holiday parade, then we’ve got you covered!”
2. Davis Wright Tremaine: “Created in partnership with world-renowned Rube Goldberg machine expert-builder Zach Umperovitch, this End-of-Year film showcases a custom chain-reaction machine designed to transition through all four seasons. Crafted and filmed by DWT Studios, the piece reflects the firm’s spirit of innovation and connection — capturing the story of a year through motion, precision, and collaboration.” Don’t look away from this incredibly interesting holiday video card, you might miss something!
3. Fish & Richardson: Our nominator wonders, “Does navigating the holidays ever feel as difficult as solving a complex math or science problem?” Not to worry, because this IP firm has your back. “As an IP firm where 85% of our legal staff have a STEM degree, our holiday card lightheartedly acknowledges that each of us must call upon our inner scientist to navigate this season! The graphics support the message by featuring math equations, computer algorithms, and chemistry formulas on a blackboard background. While the square root of a snowman remains one of the great unsolved equations of our time, we were lucky to be able to call upon several of the 115 Ph.D.s at our firm to validate the real equations and formulas!” (There really are some complicated formulas featured in this card, and Fish is truly lucky to have staff on hand who can figure them out.)
4. Larson • King: From our nominator: “For many years the firm has pushed the boundaries with their holiday cards. The 2025 greeting highlights this year’s Wicked-mania with a legal twist. Join Elf-aba as she journeys to Saint Paul for legal assistance from a familiar face. Featuring parodies such as What is This Pleading? (What is This Feeling?), My Lawyer and I (The Wizard and I), Litigate (Popular), and Defending Legality (Defying Gravity). The firm enjoyed creating the parody of the songs to turn them into legal speak. The music and vocals were custom-created for this video by a local Minneapolis producer.” Now a 12-time holiday card contest finalist, this firm is in it to win it with Wicked legal flair. This card is simply “thrillifying”!
5. Law Office of Andrew L. Gradman, APC: This nominator has been staring at the tax code for far too long, and he had to figure out how to make it fun again. “Most sections of the Internal Revenue Code are three- or four-digit numbers. If you stare at these long enough (as I do), you begin to see calendar dates. Once you do, you can’t get it out of your head. My hope was that maybe, if I made a calendar where each date honors a corresponding Internal Revenue Code section, I’d be able to move on.” Check out this clever calendarfull of “tax holidays” that only a true tax pro could love.
6. Lowenstein Sandler: AI hallucinations got you down? This firm knows how to prompt its way right out of that. Our nominator notes: “By playfully simulating an AI-chatbot exchange, Lowenstein Sandler’s 2025 holiday card delivers warm wishes with a modern, humorous touch that also illustrates the firm’s decades-long reputation at the forefront of tech. It highlights the firm’s forward-looking outlook, its leadership in advising clients on the productive and compliant use of AI, and its own use of AI to enhance efficiency and strategy. Blending authenticity, appreciation, and tech-savvy creativity, we think it stands out as a clever holiday greeting.”
Now it’s time for our audience to vote. We’ll keep the polls open through WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2025, at 11:30 p.m. (Eastern time). This gives you ample time to campaign for your pick over the holidays (but please, don’t cheat).
Thanks to all the entrants and nominators, good luck to the finalists, and happy holidays to all! Above the Law is happy to celebrate holiday cheer with you!
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post ATL Holiday Card Contest: The Finalists! (2025) appeared first on Above the Law.