Last night, Arent Fox threw a party to kick off its new building at 1000 Connecticut.The firm moved in late '12, but it's not official until you invite800 of yourclosestfriends to celebrate.

On the second floor, we spotted Arent Fox chairman emeritus Marc Fleischaker with PNC Bank exec Michael Harreld. The firm had been at Washington Square since '82. It has floors 2-8 and 250k square feet, and we're pretty sure most of that was filled with either lawyers or tables full of food yesterday. Among the favorites:sushi bar,oysters,avocado bar, and burger sliders.

In the auditorium, Arent Fox government relations practice co-chair Phil English-- a former seven-term congressman--with Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation VP Ed McGeogh and Arent Fox corporate and securities partner Gerard Leval. We spotted Phil's co-chair, former Senator Byron Dorgan in another room--the one with the Peking duck bar.Looking at the ultra-HD theater screen made of 120 MicroTiles, Gerard reminisced about growing up in France and watching TV for the first time during the wedding of Grace Kelly. Behind them, stuffed foxes fill seats in the 150-seat auditorium.

Arent Fox New York managing partner Michael Blass came down for the event and a partner retreat ("we're being extravagant and holding it in this office"). He's flanked by Baker Tilly's John Niehoff and Arent Fox exec compensation head--and former firm managing partner of 12 years--Bill Charyk. (But the real star of the photograph is John's seasonally appropriate tie, covered in Capitol domes and cherry blossoms.)

Among the hundreds of folks spread between three floors, we spotted Arent Fox's Bob Bennett, right, a former senator of 18 years and chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. (Since he's also the father of six and grandfather to 20, he probably wasn't fazed by the packed house.) He's with ACI-NA's Nathan Pick andformer Arent Fox lawyer Ona Alston Dosunmu, now Brookings GC. The firm's newest office will open in San Francisco this summer.