You’ve heard it before: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
But Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick health law attorney Erin Smith Aebel has an addendum to that adage: When in London, do as the Londoners do and host a tea party.
“I can’t think of an event that’s more English than a tea party!” Aebel said.
Aebel was recently in London to pick up a Lexology Client Choice award for exemplary client service. She celebrated the honor with other awardees at a gala at One Great George Street across from the Houses of Parliament.
Before the big night, Aebel gathered together a group of winners from around the world for a tea party at Fortnum & Mason, a London staple and a Royal Warrant Holder by appointment to Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
Aebel invited the women in London attending the Client Choice award gala to her tea party – a dozen attorneys from Russia, Brazil, Australia and other countries around the world.
“I bought a white feathered fascinator from Bristol so the women would know how to find me at Fortnum’s,” Aebel said. “It was wonderful – I made friends with all of them, and then when I went to the gala dinner, I already had friends, and they introduced me to the partners in their law firms.”
Between cucumber, mint and cream cheese finger sandwiches and fruit scones with clotted cream and lemon curd preserves, Aebel spoke to the women about remembering Shumaker as a stateside option for their clients’ legal needs.
“I find that I get my best business opportunities from women,” Aebel said. “I made sure to exchange everyone’s contact information in advance so the women could network before arriving in London.”
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a tea party without the most important ingredient: tea. Aebel and her guests sipped steaming cups of Fortnum’s Classic Tea Blend using delicate robin’s egg blue rimmed tea cups and saucers.
After sandwiches and scones, the tea party was topped off by another British delicacy –individual tea cakes selected from the cake carriage. Who could ask for a better ending to the perfect London afternoon?