It was a really great one this year. Fantastic September weather and a great atmosphere with more than 600 participants from 29 offices Firmwide.
White & Case Executive Committee member and partner Oliver Brettle
When asked about his favorite moment of the weekend, World Cup Volleyball MVP and associate Petr Lupač of our Prague office noted, “We did not spend much time off the sand, but I definitely enjoyed Saturday’s evening program when we got the chance to talk a bit more with players from the other teams.” For Tokyo associate Mikio Kobayashi, the World Cup Football MVP, his highlight was “meeting so many people from our different offices.”
“Great team spirit” was cited as the secret of his team’s successes by associate Vladimír Ivančo, captain of the Bratislava volleyball team, while partner Philipp Hackländer, captain of the Berlin football team, pointed to “our supporters, who fantastically cheered us on. Of course we dedicated our victory to them!” While the cheers of the Berlin team supporters were a key to its success, Frankfurt’s team supporters lacked nothing when it came to cheering on their team, as they won the event’s “Best Team Supporters” award.
While the World Cup was a great way for people to demonstrate the Firm’s spirit, teamwork and diversity, it also offered the opportunity to raise money for the Homeless World Cup, a global charity and pro bono client of ours that inspires homeless people to change their lives through the power of football. Twelve Firm offices participated in pre-event activities, and during the Event weekend, additional funds were raised through a penalty shoot-out with professional goalkeepers and a raffle featuring football-related items signed by football superstars. Combined, these activities raised nearly €10,000.