No more chilled shrimp and Kusshi oysters on the half shell in melting carved ice swans. No more bloody mary bars, mimosas, yellowtail sushi and tuna carpaccio.
The law firms and lobbying shops that were packed in 2009 with Obama fans eager to catch a glimpse of the newly inaugurated president along the parade route are either scaling back their parties or canceling them altogether this year.
The lack of love for President-elect Donald Trump will leave many of the balconies along the 1.7-mile parade rout empty.
“It’s a very sensitive issue,” said one law firm partner whose business is on the route. “It’s a very charged environment. There were many people not happy with the election results.”
The lack of interest in partying is perhaps not surprising given the makeup of the District of Columbia. Indeed, he won just 4 percent of the D.C. vote in November.
Cooley LLP, at 1299 Pennsylvania Ave., will be closed Friday, as will Proskauer Rose LLP, at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave.
Proskauer managing partner Paul M. Hamburger said no official parade-watching party in the works.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, which hosted a catered affair for 1,000 guests in 2009, will be closed this year; thus, no reception. Miller & Chevalier, which opened its doors to 800 invited guests in 2009, is no longer on the parade route, so it’s not hosting an event this year.
In years past, demand has been so high that law firms resorted to lotteries to accommodate all the requests. But firms this year cited heightened security, planned protests and a general lack of interest as reasons for shutting their doors.
“We’re a little surprised,” said the receptionist at the BGR Group, a downtown powerhouse lobbying group that in years past had hosted clients and friends with an elaborate brunch during the inaugural parade. “It’s not on the calendar.”
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to see the swearing-in and line the parade route, but they’re not the locals and politically connected visitors who regularly attend.
“This is a different group,” Charese John, creative director of Revive Events & Catering, said of the incoming administration. “They don’t have relationships here. This is not a traditional Washington event.”
The lack of interest also will cut into business for corporate caterers.
Low attendance caused the Arkansas State Society to cancel its inaugural ball, which dates back decades for both Republican and Democratic presidents.
The Podesta Group Republicans, led by CEO Kimberley Fritts, is hosting an event at a downtown hotel along the parade route.
The blue-chip firm Jones Day on Capitol Hill will hold a small reception for partners and clients. Partner Gregory Katsas serves on the Justice Department transition team with associate James Burnham, and another partner, Don McGahn, Mr. Trump’s campaign attorney, has been named White House counsel.
“We can’t imagine not hosting an inaugural event and celebrating this most important tradition with clients, and our many other friends from the Hill and around town who want to witness history,” Ms. Fritts said. “Preseason is over, and it’s opening day. Our firm — especially our deep Republican bench — is thrilled to help usher in the new Washington.”
International law firm Crowell & Moring, whose chair Angela Styles served in the George W. Bush administration, is also going to be in the swing.
Their office, at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., is near the new Trump International Hotel.
“The firm expects several hundred people to attend,” said director of communications Phillip P. McGowan, “who will likely have a very good view of President Trump.”
* This story has been updated to properly reflect the reason Miller & Chevalier is not hosting a party this year, and to remove an incorrect statement about Crowell & Moring. Crowell & Moring’s Senior Counsel Barry E. Cohen did not represent Donald Trump in the lawsuits filed against Trump University.
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