Freeborn & Peters:
Chicago Lawyer Magazine reveals how Ashley Brandt, now a partner at Freeborn & Peters, rose to the top:
“Ashley Brandt joined Freeborn & Peters in 2010 as one of four litigators moving from Clark Hill.
The group mainly focused on construction and real estate litigation. But they also had an interesting side business: They represented three craft brewers in Chicago.
Five years later, after a lot of hard work and some beer tasting, that side business helped Brandt get tapped for partner at Freeborn in January. Today, he represents 30 craft brewers, which account for about a third of his billable hours.
Brandt says the firm encouraged and supported his efforts to brew up his beer business. His success in doing so helped him reach the partner ranks in a number of ways: It bolstered his billable hours; proved he was ready to handle clients’ needs; and suggested he would be a reliable business generator.
“ ‘If you have the inclination and you want to go out and try something new and show you’re committed to it and have expertise or are willing to learn, the firm supports that,’” Brandt says.”
Chicago Lawyer, “Getting to the top of the heap,” March 1, 2016