NRF hands associates £500 to build client relationships

Norton Rose Fulbright has launched a new programme giving associates direct responsibility for managing client relationships - and a £500 business development budget to support them.

The Client Relationship Associate (CRA) programme was piloted last year and now involves nearly 40 London lawyers across major practice areas.

CRAs are given ownership of specific client relationships, supporting day-to-day development, strategic planning, review meetings and feedback - all under the guidance of partners.

Each CRA receives coaching and access to a central hub of resources to support client relationship management. They also have autonomy to organise client meetings and drive BD activity, using their personal £500 budgets.

The programme was designed with input from associates during its pilot phase, and has now been rolled out firmwide in London, with plans to expand across the EMEA region.

What they said

"This programme gives clients dedicated contact points whilst giving associates the opportunity, tools and skills to build long-term relationships throughout their careers", said Madhavi Gosavi, EMEA head of banking and finance and project sponsor.

"We are actively investing in the future of our firm and this underscores our commitment to our people, our clients and innovating across our business", she added.

Angelee Wadher, senior manager for partner performance and development, said the programme’s success is rooted in associate involvement: "By actively seeking their feedback, we ensured it remained relevant to their real-life challenges and needs."

Other initiatives

NRF says the CRA programme sits alongside other NRF efforts to empower junior talent, including the Next Generation Board - a board composed of 16 associate-level lawyers and business services staff proposing improvements to senior management - and a billable hours credit scheme that rewards associates for developing standalone client-facing products and services.