Bert Brannen, who heads Fisher & Phillips’ Atlanta office, realized during the year-end review period seven years ago that his office’s most promising midlevel associates were at risk of not making partner, even though they were doing great work and billing enough hours. The problem was that they didn’t have any business of their own.
Brannen started the firm’s Associate Business Program, designed to help associates build a book of business needed to make partner at the firm. The program includes a monthly meeting with Brannen to go over tactics and goals, and the firm reports it has been very successful.
