BREAKING: Halloween Costume Leads to Minor Collision, Major Career Opportunity
October 31, 2025 — Arlington, VA
Attorney Claire B. Smith, 33, made headlines at the Dwyer & Keller corporate law offices Friday morning after a brief but symbolic collision between her personal life and professional reputation.
According to witnesses, Smith arrived at work dressed as a pumpkin spice latte — a choice she described as “seasonally confident” — before realizing, with growing dread, that none of her colleagues had chosen to participate in the firm’s “optional” Halloween festivities.
Panicked by the sudden imbalance between her self-expression and quarterly-review optics, Smith reportedly left the parking lot, and rear ended a service van, and called in to work explaining she was in an accident.
Sources confirm that the incident provided her with just enough time to return home, change into business attire, and reappear at her desk by the 10:30 a.m. compliance meeting.
“She demonstrated exceptional crisis management,” said Managing Partner Derek J. Hollings, who later invited Smith to headline the firm’s annual conference on “Professional Resilience in the Modern Workplace.” Colleagues noted that her PowerPoint — ‘From Latte to Litigation: Managing Reputational Risk in Unforeseen Circumstances’ — has already been circulated as a model for proactive brand preservation.