When Vasiliki Tsaganos, a corporate partner in the D.C. office of New York’s Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, wanted to reward her associates for putting in long hours on a tech company’s public offering, she decided against sending them flowers, a typical firm practice.

As an alternative, Tsaganos gave her all-women team gift certificates for a manicure and pedicure at the salon in the Willard Hotel.