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Latham Spring Challenge: Step by Step

June 1, 2026

Latham’s annual Spring Challenge focuses on well-being, camaraderie, and engagement around the globe.

In this interview, Mark Goldberg, Latham’s Director of Well-Being & Benefits, discusses the firm’s Spring Challenge and how Latham lawyers and business professionals engage in this annual well-being initiative.

WHAT IS LATHAM’S SPRING CHALLENGE?

The Spring Challenge is an annual global event in which our offices get active, focus on their well-being, and help children in need. The Challenge involves many layers, but at its core, colleagues track their steps through wearable fitness devices or apps on their mobile phones. They can also manually log physical and mental well-being activity, which is then converted into “steps” for purposes of the Challenge. Every 5,000 steps in a day earns a school meal donation through the UN World Food Programme.

HOW DO YOU KEEP PEOPLE MOTIVATED?

In the past, offices competed against each other, but starting in 2026 we changed things up to challenge both offices and individuals to meet certain activity targets in order to earn bonus meal donations. Now everyone is working toward a common goal.

This year, each office was assigned a target (based on headcount and past performance) to meet by the end of the Challenge, and participants were assigned an individual target that equated to 10,000 steps per day. When targets were met at the individual and/or office level, bonus meal donations were awarded. This encouraged camaraderie and collaboration at the office level, while also motivating participants individually.

We are especially proud of our collective results this year, having earned the most meal donations in Challenge history!

What started in 2009 as a simple goal of inspiring colleagues to move more throughout their day has evolved into an annual challenge with thousands of Latham lawyers and business professionals participating each year. The Challenge is really about creating an environment in which we can encourage one another to focus on our well-being, while helping to do some good in the world through our charity meal donations.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU FOSTER ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION?

Over the years, our offices have come up with creative ideas to get their teams involved and excited. We have seen scavenger hunts, bicycle-powered smoothie blenders, plank and sit-up contests, “bubble football,” ping pong, group meditations, sound baths, bowling, dragon boat races, beach cleanups, and all manners of walks, hikes, and exercise classes, to name a few.

What’s great about the Challenge is that it has become such an inclusive event. While the unit of measurement is steps, the Challenge also encourages non-step activities such as biking, yoga, weightlifting, horseback riding, gardening, swimming, or even meditation. Our Challenge platform converts such activity into steps and allows people to engage in their well-being in whatever way works best for them.

WHAT EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS HAVE YOU SEEN COME OUT OF THE CHALLENGE?

We’ve heard countless stories over the years from colleagues sharing how the Challenge inspired them to focus on their well-being. Examples include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, trying new exercise classes or fitness routines, and engaging more with mental health.

A memorable story comes from our Chicago office, where a secretary had assumed she was moving a fair amount each day. When she began tracking her steps, she realized she wasn’t moving nearly as much as she had thought. This prompted her to begin walking more, then running, and eventually completing multiple marathons. That’s what the Challenge is all about — encouraging people to take charge of their health and well-being.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PULL OFF A GLOBAL EVENT OF THIS SCALE?

We have an amazing team of over 100 Latham colleagues who serve on our global planning committee or as local office team leaders. They coordinate everything from promotion, registration, and local events to the legal, technical, and data privacy aspects of our step-tracking platform. But most of all, they work to engage their colleagues. It truly takes a village, and we appreciate the tremendous effort from these volunteers each year.

HOW DOES THE CHALLENGE FIT INTO LATHAM’S LARGER WELL-BEING STRATEGY?

The Challenge was actually our first large-scale venture into the well-being space. But from the start, we realized it was about much more than just tracking steps. It supported our firm culture and fostered engagement and connection among our lawyers and business professionals around the globe.