Share the Love + Share the Knowledge: Please Vote!

We asked people to share with us their favorite couples - famous, historical, cartoon characters, literary figures, real-life pairs - and why . The entries did not disappoint. The entries were so good, in fact, that our team had trouble limiting the finalists to three. We have expanded the list of finalists to include our top four picks, but now we need your help!

Of the four finalists, which is your favorite? The person who submitted the winning entry will receive a complimentary registration to the upcoming 2024 LMA Conference in San Diego.

Thanks for your participation!

(Read the entries below and click on the button at the bottom of the page to vote.)

Entry #1: Peter Feldman and Morgan Horvitz.

Peter is a legal marketer and has been a member of LMA for many years, both working within firms as Director of Marketing and as an outside communications consultant/writer. Morgan is Peter’s daughter and has also been in legal marketing for years, working within firms, including as CMO. She, too, is an active LMA member and has served on the Board. Does that make them a couple? Well, maybe just a pair. Are we the only multigenerational, father/daughter legal marketing “pair”? Why are we inspiring as a “couple” (of related LMA members and legal marketers)? Because we demonstrate that inspiration to be part of this profession can be contagious, can be handed down, can help the next generation get started and succeed. The face that Morgan has been so successful as a legal marketer inspires me every day.

(Submitted by Peter Feldman, Morninglight Marketing & Communications)

Entry #2: “I love you and I like you.” – Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt.

In the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, on cable television’s best political satire, Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt begin as work enemies but end as a couple unconditionally in love, with a powerful relationship built on the foundations of deep respect, unwavering support, and shared values. In each other, Leslie and Ben not only found the love of their lives but also their best friend, confidant, cheerleader, and a partner in every facet of life.

As individuals, Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt are inspirational enough, with both of their paths highlighting the irreplaceable value of kindness and hard work. Leslie is a passionate and relentlessly determined government employee, but her ambition never stops her from also being the most thoughtful and kind person in the room. In fact, her commitment to helping others, even those who actively try to stifle her efforts, is what drives her unparalleled work ethic. In addition, she always stays true to herself. While many people put her down for her quirks, Leslie Knope remains steadfast in her endless enthusiasm for her town, her friends, and for waffles, which brings her great success in her career and her relationships.

Similarly, Ben is a deeply caring, creative, and capable person. While he is introduced as a pessimistic and blunt auditor after crashing and burning his early political career, the best of Ben begins to shine after he accepts his new community in Pawnee and begins to fall in love with Leslie. Ben is deeply resourceful, with the ability to be a successful auditor, accountant, campaign manager, and more - but he chooses to follow his passions even where there are easier paths to stability and success available to him. He is also an extremely thoughtful person, often going the extra mile to make significant sacrifices for the ones he loves. At his core, Ben Wyatt is someone who perseveres.

Together, Leslie and Ben are the ultimate power couple who thrive with each other’s unwavering support. While they might have different approaches, they are unified in their commitment to make the world a better place. Their arguments or disagreements are never destructive, as they have unwavering respect for each other and prioritize their relationship, even if it means making personal concessions or sacrifices. Their practices of humility and compassion with one another, even if it’s a struggle at first, is an exemplary lesson in making a relationship last.

After they commit to one another, their confidence in their work and in themselves grows immensely, fueled by unconditional love and encouragement. They exemplify a love rooted in patience and kindness, as they do not judge each other’s quirks, missteps, or low moments, from unemployment and failed projects to nerdy obsessions. They know they are able to be completely vulnerable with one another, sharing their unfiltered thoughts, hopes, and fears. Their partnership demonstrates full acceptance of one another which is not only a refreshing example of a mature relationship, but also serves as a reminder to those watching of what it means to be a truly supportive and loving partner.

One of the greatest examples of love and support comes in the last season, when both Ben, now a Congressman, and Leslie, Regional Director of the National Park Service, are presented the opportunity to run for Governor. Leading Indiana as Governor would be the culmination of a dream and decades of hard work for both of them. While they struggle with the decision of who should run, Ben steps back to let Leslie live out her dream, and successfully runs her campaign, proving them to be both a loving and unstoppable duo once again.

On the last episode of Parks & Recreation, we see an aged Ben and Leslie having grown older together, surrounded by secret services agents. What we don’t know is which one of them is serving as the President of the United States - because either way, they both would have worked hard together to get there, and the nation would have a passionate, dedicated, and caring leader. Together, they are the definition of true partnership.

Many people fall in love, but fewer have the greatest pleasure to experience complete vulnerability and support – to be fully seen and accepted by another person. Overflowing with admiration, respect, and support, Leslie and Ben are the perfect example of unconditional love, and it’s no wonder they were met with success and happiness as they navigated hardships in their work, and more importantly, in their relationship. Leslie and Ben illustrate the simple but important lesson for everyone– stay true to yourself, work hard, and love harder.

(Submitted by Catherine Dingler, Maynard Nexsen)

Entry #3: The Queen Mary.

A newly minted Harvard School Graduate entered the dining room of the Queen Mary in 1950. The room, art deco in style, oozed glamour and elegance yet held no comparison to the woman Criton suddenly laid his eyes on. This woman took his breath away more than any Hollywood celebrity or Royal roaming the ocean liner.

Having been born in Izmir, Turkey to two Greek parents, relocating to Athens for high school, immigrating to America, and then serving in WWII, Criton had experienced more than your average 32-year-old. Therefore, when he finally rallied up the courage to speak to the woman drawing him in across the ship’s dining room, he was wise enough to know she was who he wanted to build a life with.

That night Criton learned everything he could about Catherine. He learned that she was born in Santa Monica, California but was raised in Carmel, New York; he learned she had a passion for design; and he learned that she was the daughter of Harold “Chic” Johnson of the Olsen and Johnson vaudeville comedy duo, performing as a little girl on occasion with her dad at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City and with the Danny Kaye variety show. The last tidbit Criton learned about Catherine made sense to him as he noticed her wittiness and humor while they strolled the deck of the ship under the sky sprinkled with stars—the same stars that wrote Criton’s and Catherine’s love story.

Yet their story wasn’t all glitz and glamour. Prior to meeting Catherine, Criton enlisted in the Army during WWII, where he served under General Patton for a time and participated in the Normandy Beach Invasion. He rose to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the division responsible for restoring civil order after the Allies had liberated territory. Further on in their relationship, Criton described to Catherine the horrors of war he had to address of what remained after the Allied liberation of two Nazi concentration camps. These shared stories wove a tight bond between the duo, strengthening their love and trust for each other.

The couples’ encounter crossing the Atlantic Ocean took place during Criton’s travels for his work with the Coca-Cola Co. His role in the company took him around the world, and the traveling did not stop once the couple wed. Catherine stood by Criton’s side, supporting him as a wife and life partner as they lived in countless cities, including Paris, Rome, and Beirut. For more than a decade, the pair lived overseas, traveling extensively as Criton worked to introduce Coke products into the Middle East and Africa.

Their travels came to a halt once Criton relocated to the Coca-Cola offices in New York City and then to their Headquarters in Atlanta, retiring as Senior Vice President. The relocation to Atlanta provided some stability for Catherine to go to school to become a registered nurse and for the pair to raise their four kids—Philip, Gregory, Diana, and my dad, Eric.

My dad grew up telling me the story of Criton and Catherine, whom I knew as Papou and Nana. As a hopeless romantic whose favorite category of entertainment is romance, it sounded straight from a novel or movie. Just like all couples, I know they faced adversaries, yet their love carried them through, and together they could build any life they desired. The value they placed in family and togetherness provided their kids with support, encouragement, love, and a place to return to—which are traits my dad imparted to our family and ones I hope to impart to my own family one day.

Papou and Nana’s love taught me that if you put yourself out there and follow your dreams, maybe life can be just like—or very close to—one of the romantic comedies I grew up watching. Although my life may not be as adventure-filled as theirs, they instilled in me that having people you love in your life and allowing them to love you back is the adventure in itself. It was more than just love between Papou and Nana, it was friendship, support, and respect. They inspired me to love life fully and to never settle for a relationship any less than what they had. Finally, the hopeless romantic in me says their story taught me that true love (and maybe fate) does exist.

(Submitted by Andrea Zogran, GrayRobinson)

Entry #4: Jamie Sullivan and Landon Carter.

My favorite couple throughout time has always been Jamie Sulivan and Landon Carter from A Walk to Remember. If you have ever seen the movie, you know that Landon is mean to Jamie because he wants to be seen as “cool” to his friends since Jamie is more of a bookworm. Throughout the movie, Landon starts to fall in love with Jamie and realize what true love is by seeing Jamie for who she was on the inside, not how she appeared on the outside. Landon learned how to be kind to people, know matter if they looked different or acted different than him. A lesson I learned from this movie is that sometimes the person you least expect will surprise you in the best way possible.

(Submitted by Anne Humphries, Lacey Lyons Rezanka)