Associate

BEFORE BRATTLE

Prior to joining Brattle, I majored in economics and math at Barnard College in New York. After graduation, I worked in the economic consulting industry as an analyst for six years in New York. My primary focus was on securities and finance work. Through this, I became a CFA Charterholder. I then decided to further my education by attending the business school at Chicago Booth, where I concentrated in finance, economics, and strategic management. I then joined Brattle’s Boston office, so I’m in my eighth year in the industry now!

The main draw of economic consulting for me are that you are constantly learning and being challenged. You have the opportunity to work each day with smart, interesting, and caring people. Brattle has a reputation for a great collegial culture, as well as stimulating and diverse work, and I’ve found that Brattle has delivered on this!

AT BRATTLE

Since joining Brattle, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects with numerous principals and teams. There have been a few projects that stand out over my time here. One project involved helping the US Attorney’s office prepare for a trial – the Brattle team crafted and executed the complex analyses required, and we worked on the optimal presentation for the trial. We were happy to learn that the trial ended with a favorable result for the client! On a different project in the securities space, we worked on a series of arbitrations, and I had the opportunity to work directly with many lawyers and law firms.

As an Associate, you are often a key point person on a project, sitting between senior staff, junior staff, the client, and the expert. I found that my education, primarily my MBA, has been very beneficial to me in terms of execution and thinking at a higher level on and across my projects. I have been lucky to enjoy a mix of project work, some of which include cases with finance or investment content that I specialize in, and others that involve different aspects of the firm. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects at Brattle, the ability to work with and mentor analysts. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to get to know analysts and hopefully help them with their long-term career goals. Brattle is very supportive of working collaboratively across all of its offices. I’ve worked from several of Brattle’s offices in different cities and have enjoyed the chance to meet and work with colleagues in all of our locations. This continues to be the most beneficial piece of working at Brattle, the opportunity to work with great colleagues and clients.

BEFORE BRATTLE

I have a diverse background rooted in a genuine passion for knowledge and critical thinking. During college I studied management for arts, culture, and communication, which was a perfect match between my passion for performing arts and social sciences (I performed in several dance and theater shows at the professional level during my time in school). After spending a semester studying in Amsterdam and an internship at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, I completed a major in economics and social sciences. Upon graduation and after one year in the banking sector, I returned to school to receive a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Ferrara in Italy. I also had the opportunity to attend Columbia University in New York, where I received a Master’s degree in Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences.

Luckily enough, completing my PhD program coincided with the opening of Brattle’s new office in Rome. I was looking for a work environment to apply my skills in applied economics, and Brattle came along naturally when looking at opportunities in economic consulting within the Italian market. I decided to accept an offer to join Brattle because I saw an intriguing opportunity to be part of a team of economists and experts challenged with developing the local market. The people I met during the interview process impressed me with their energy and enthusiasm about their job and working at Brattle.

AT BRATTLE

Since joining Brattle, the Rome office has grown rapidly, and so has my role. I believe my career development has been influenced by several factors, including the specific project work I have been involved in spanning Brattle’s offices, and the continuous inspiration I receive from my colleagues, which has always pushed me to go the extra mile. As associates, we must efficiently manage both external and internal relationships, while building our role as an expert in certain fields. As I grow in the associate role, I am building a network in the infrastructure area both in Italy and abroad, and have had the opportunity to work in state aid and competition cases, and cases involving damages quantification in international arbitration. Brattle also offers a flexible environment, which creates greater opportunities to directly interact with senior-level staff, including principals and external clients. This kind of exposure definitely helps to develop effective communication skills. Within Brattle, I have been recently involved in recruiting and training new RAs, which, despite making me feeling a bit too old, is greatly satisfying to watch people grow in their careers.

The best part about working at Brattle is the freedom I have to follow my interests, while working on diverse and interesting projects across Brattle’s offices. I appreciate that Brattle has effectively created a “Brattle identity” across all its offices. The firm’s core values, such as the rigorousness of the analysis, the objectivity of work, and the respect for the individual, are strongly perceivable and respected across offices.

*Lucia is now a Principal at Brattle 

BEFORE BRATTLE

When I was just starting out as an undergraduate, I was intrigued by how economics could be leveraged as a tool for studying the impacts of policy on individuals and markets. Consequently, I took an internship with the USDA’s Farm Loan Programs. It was a dramatic period for government policy. I saw firsthand how the Great Recession was affecting agricultural prices and the sometimes surprising interactions between policy and economic conditions. My internship at the USDA inspired me to get more hands-on experience, so I took a job out of college as an investment analyst at an electric utility. After working there for two years, I realized I still had a great deal more to learn and decided to return to school.

As a PhD student at Rice University, I focused my research on tax policy. I wrote my dissertation on corporate and personal income taxation, using a combination of theoretical and empirical tools to understand how companies and individuals respond to taxation. This focus turned out to be a great fit for Brattle. As a Brattle Associate, I have been able to further develop my expertise while working on a diverse set of cases which have expanded my analytical toolbox.

Brattle stood out to me because it encourages employees to work on a diverse set of projects. Even though I joined Brattle with a relatively narrow interest – taxation – I knew that I would get to develop a wide variety of skills and work with a diverse portfolio of clients.

AT BRATTLE

My work, so far, has been remarkably diverse. I’ve worked on cases involving a variety of subjects (including valuation, fraud, transfer pricing, and capital structure) and a variety of industries (e.g., agriculture, mining, finance, and manufacturing). I chose to work on such a diverse set of projects because I wanted to build my analytical toolkit. Casework has been a way to learn from the expertise of other Brattle employees.

Working as a mentor and manager for research analysts has been a complete change for me. To effectively manage projects, I’ve had to improve my communication skills and learn to balance big picture information with practical details. This new role has also taught me to think critically about what can be learned from projects – effective coordination requires maximizing the use of existing skills while creating opportunities to develop new ones.

BEFORE BRATTLE

Prior to working at Brattle, I worked to complete a PhD in Finance at the University of Melbourne and hold a Bachelor of Quantitative Finance with Honours from the University of Adelaide.

Upon the completion of my PhD, I wanted to explore opportunities in consulting firms with a focus on quantitative/analytical work and an international presence. Brattle was amongst the few that fit these criteria in the Australian market.

AT BRATTLE

My experience has been enjoyable so far. On project teams, I always feel encouraged to ask questions, and everyone always makes time to explain and answer them. There are many opportunities to take on more responsibilities, even at the early stage of the development path. I appreciate Brattle’s emphasis on mentoring and training, as well as the firm’s commitment to providing guidance and support towards the long-term development of employees. Though a number of projects I’ve worked on are in related areas to my PhD research, I feel that I am constantly learning and developing both skills and knowledge when working on diverse projects. I feel that the project team structure, often with senior research analysts, research analysts, and experts, facilitates quick learning on different aspects.

I am constantly amazed at how committed and enthusiastic Brattle analysts are. They are smart, always excited to be challenged, and would never say no when asked for help. They also do not hold back asking questions and trying to find answers to the problems at hand. I enjoy learning about their different backgrounds and interests, and their vision for the future. I think the ability to work with smart and driven colleagues in a collaborative environment is one of the biggest factors that Brattle has to offer.

Within the scope of a project, I find that Brattle principals take the time to train and develop the team, are willing to listen for new ideas, and let the team take on more responsibilities as they progress on the learning curve. Outside the scope of project work, the principals I’ve worked with are approachable for guidance and advice, and willing to act as mentors in different aspects of my work and career development.

I am always excited for the different projects that I have had the opportunity to have worked on, and I am hoping to explore more areas in the near future. I also, continue to appreciate the ongoing efforts in the firm to facilitate cross-office collaboration.

BEFORE BRATTLE

I graduated from Assumption College with majors in economics and accounting. I worked at a CPA firm for two years after graduating, but I knew I wanted to pursue a higher degree. In preparation for graduate school, I completed a 24-credit summer at Boston University. There, I worked on upgrading my math and programming skills, as I knew I wanted to further pursue economics.

I completed my PhD in Economics at UNC Chapel Hill, where I specialized in international finance. During the program, I received hands-on experience in the economic job market through internships at the Congressional Budget Office and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. I joined Brattle after receiving my PhD.

I was struck by the sharpness of the questions I received during my job talk at Brattle, as well as the positive way the feedback was delivered. Brattle stands out as the most entrepreneurial firm in the industry, giving new associates the most freedom and support in developing into a success. The development plan for associates begins right at the start, with a clear investment of time and effort in an associate’s long-term goals.

AT BRATTLE

Brattle offers a very unique opportunity to hone research skills in an environment that also includes management responsibilities and a level of accountability that results in the highest quality work. The practical application of economics in high-stakes situations helps spur innovation and generates creative ways to approach questions.

I was instantly impressed with the diversity of the associate role and the high quality of the people at the firm. In my first project, I learned a great deal more about municipal debt even though it was the topic of my dissertation. As a team, we broke new ground to answer the questions posed by the case. This led to an ongoing collaboration with a Brattle principal to publish our work in academic journals.

While my experience was producing new research questions and solutions, I was also entrusted with significant management responsibility. I’ve had the chance to work with incredibly talented analysts in a collaborative environment that makes me more valuable than I could ever be alone.

In my first few months at Brattle, I’ve done everything from aid in preparing training sessions to conduct calls with prominent clients about ongoing high-profile cases. I’ve never learned so much in so short a time, and I look forward to where my development at Brattle will lead in the years to come.