I wish you the happiest of holidays as you spend this weekend and the coming days celebrating with family and friends.
In the past, my annual letter focused on expressing my gratitude for our firm’s clients, our wonderful team, and my family and friends. This year, I am continuing that theme by commending everyone for the time and energy they invested in supporting others through a what was a second year of substantial changes, losses, and seemingly unsurmountable challenges.
Coming together in service to others is something history shows humanity can do well when we’re collectively confronted. Despite the stress and rigors of living in a pandemic-stricken world, everyone is still helping friends, neighbors, communities, and even total strangers.
We do this because, despite Covid-19 and its hurdles, there are still children to raise, businesses to run, and causes to serve. Certainly, we’re not doing these things how we envisioned, but we adapt and innovate to move forward.
Many of the previous year’s cancelled events, vacations and weddings were reimagined and rescheduled as socially distanced gatherings, staycations or camping trips, and even live-streamed nuptials. It’s remarkable how innovative we can be with the right mindset whenever we face difficulties.
With variants surfacing and many cities and countries around the world experiencing some form of lockdown, 2021 was another extremely challenging year. Our law firm dealt with it by making changes to our processes where needed, and holding strong to our common mission, as reflected in our law firm’s new Mission Statement – “We hold accountable those who hurt others.”
Our practice is fortunate enough to offer stay-at-home working environments to employees when needed, with little to no impact on our day-to-day business. And thanks to access to fast testing and vaccines, our law firm was able to safely return to holding an in-person holiday luncheon and gift exchange this year.
I always look forward to this holiday party. While last year’s Zoom holiday gathering was a wonderful experience, seeing seventy smiling faces in the same room (our firm continues to grow!) filled me with immense joy and gratitude.
The party also got me thinking specifically about how well the team performed in the last twelve months. I’m in awe of the incredible things they made happen not only for the benefit of the firm but for our clients. I’m enormously proud of our staff and their dedication.
We have survived and, in some ways, thrived.
As a result of their amazing solidarity, our employees successfully navigated the second year of an awful pandemic without lessening any commitment to our clients, our work product, or results. Thus, for another year we continued helping hundreds and hundreds of families move forward in life as they recover from the pain and suffering caused by others.
The past year was not easy, but the spirit, strength and resiliency shown by everyone I’ve mentioned has filled me with hope for the future. I’m very excited as we move into 2022.
Finally, I thank you for your continued commitment to our firm, whether you are a client, an employee, a referral partner, or just a friend.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Craig Goldenfarb, Esq.
