The Knicks Are Making Biglaw Partners… Nice

The Knicks are just one victory away from securing their first championship since 1973, holding a 3-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs. I am not okay—in the best possible way. All of New York is not okay… in fact, blue-and-orange fever is sweeping the nation… well, except for Texas. Game 5 takes place tomorrow night in San Antonio, and Madison Square Garden hasn't experienced this level of excitement in decades. Neither, it appears, has Biglaw.

Because while I’ve been fixated on hilarious Knicks social media takes (the internet has been crushing it), Front Office Sports uncovered the best possible side story of this entire playoff run: the New York Knicks have apparently achieved what no associate satisfaction survey, wellness stipend, or HR initiative has ever managed to do. They’re making Biglaw partners seem human.

The playoff run—first round past Atlanta, a sweep of the 76ers, a sweep of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and now a 3-1 Finals lead over San Antonio—has apparently melted something in the hearts of deal lawyers who, until recently, presumably had the billable hour where their hearts should be. The blue-and-orange Grinch effect is genuine, and Front Office Sports has the proof.

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Exhibit A: Charles Baker, co-chair of the entertainment, sports, and media group at Sidley Austin, confirmed that “texts and emails don’t get returned as quickly during the games, and almost no one calls.” During a Finals game in New York… sounds about right, Charles.

But the real gem in this article is an anonymous second-year private equity associate who shared a message they received from a partner the night of Game 2, the Knicks’ thrilling 105-104 victory over the Spurs:

“This doesn’t need to be done tonight, enjoy the game.”

The associate’s reaction says everything about the psychological state of a junior Biglaw attorney: “We barely see that kind of leniency for federal holidays. … It’s gotten to the point where [coworkers and I] are sending emails back and forth just to make sure our WiFi is working.”

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Associates cannot emotionally process the concept of an evening off, and the conditioning runs so deep that an unexpected act of managerial kindness produces not relaxation, but a WiFi diagnostic. Turns out Biglaw partners are actually in associates’ heads the way Wemby only thinks he’s in Mitchell Robinson’s.

If you listen closely you can hear the associate ranks chanting:

My mayor’s Muslim;

My bagel’s Jewish;

Biglaw let me thrive;

Knicks in five!

Stan Gregor, CEO of wealth-management firm Summit Financial, went full philosopher king on the whole thing, telling Front Office Sports the Knicks’ run has shifted the “cadence and tone” of business interactions—“more relaxed, more human”—thanks to what he called a “shared point of connection.” He added, “At the end of the day, moments like this remind you that business doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Culture drives attention, and attention drives relationships, and that’s ultimately what this business is built on.”

Sure it took Jalen Brunson scoring buckets in June to unlock this revelation for some of you, but, hey, we’ll take it!

The anonymous associate also offered a comparison that hits me right in the soul. “I remember during the Yankees’ 2024 World Series, I would go to bars to watch the games and still feel like I needed to have my laptop out and be working a little bit,” they said. “Now, it’s almost like I can leave my computer at home.” Baseball hasn’t been America’s pastime for a while, whatever the PR says.

Though, per our anonymous associate, the championship part does matter, at least for the continued operation of this miraculous vibe. “I can see a lot of offices hosting celebrations or letting employees step out to take in the championship parade,” they said. “But if we lose, it’s just going to be back to work.”

Game 5 is tomorrow night in San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. ET, with the Knicks closing in on a title and Biglaw partners’ newly discovered humanity hanging delicately in the balance. But we’re up 3-1. The blue-and-orange Grinch’s heart has grown three sizes and the laptop is at home!

Knicks in five.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Bluesky @Kathryn1

Topics:

Biglaw

Corporate Associate

Knicks

Sidley Austin

Sports

Work/life balance