Associate is planning on quitting, team doesn't know

No. 

As a former staffer it really depends if you trust your staffer and what the relationship is.  That said, they probably already know.. Body language says it all. 

Yes, you can say nothing and it'll get resolved once Brian leaves. Or if you're concerned, and willing to put your intel and cred on the line, speak to the staffer confidentially so they can plan accordingly, which will only benefit you. Their bonus isn't going to change because of it.  Really no wrong decision.  But do not be wrong about your Intel.. Do you want to stake your reputation on gossip?

If it was me as staffer, I'd recognize the value of keeping junior banker trust and would appreciate the Intel. Since once you ruin your cred with one, you've lost it more broadly.

However, it wouldn't get restaffed anyway until Brian leaves, so directly asking for more staffing (as an analyst) isn't the best move.

Ultimately it'll be fine and you'll get the support you need either way.

Don’t know if this is troll or not because it’s clearly common sense that you don’t say shit.

Exactly how does ratting Brian out benefit you? Regardless, you won’t get the extra support until Brian leaves anyway.

I was a staffer before and if an analyst came up to me and snitched on another colleague because he or she wanted to preemptively mitigate their minute inconvenience I would not be fond of that.

Remember, your peers grow with you in this industry. One day, you might cross paths with Brian again and your reputation is all you have in this “game”.

People covered it above but summarizing for you that (1) you won’t get more support now either way and (2) you’re revealing you are not someone to be trusted or confided in.

Absolutely do NOT do that. This is not the first time they’ve had someone leave while staffed on a deal, they will staff someone else AFTER he leaves. Would you want someone blowing up your spot? 

There’s no need to speak to your team about this. Generally they’ll put a new person on your deal within a week once somebody leaves. It’s not a big deal, don’t stress 

Def don't say anything. You will one day need Brian to help you down the road. Word is bond in this industry.

Sounds like alot of the associates/analysts here work in some rough places. And legit sorry to hear that. 

Where I am currently (yes its a real reputable bank) we have a good staffer/analyst relationship where the staffer isn't just a source of work and a slave driver. We have an open door policy and as senior bakers, act as a mentor as well. As a senior member of the banking team, we hear alot of gossip and assumptions and part of the responsibility is sorting through it, but also we are there to support our juniors concerns. It's not ratting out, this isn't prison. 

Call me unique, and it's why I said depends on your relationship, but I actually value my junior team, they are a major part of why we get stuff done. I take it to heart when I hear one of my junior guys are trying to navigate a tough situation being told to suck it up or go at it alone, especially when it directly could effect them. But I know I'm there to support them like they support our team. We realize that sometimes its just rumors, but part of the gig at the senior level is being a mentor and an ear for concerns. 

But speaking from experience, not everyone are aholes in this gig. We expect analysts to grind but don't expect you to be a machine with no concerns or feelings. But you could also have a total dick of a staffer, so it's really your roll of the dice..

I worked for people who had my back and were there for me and I will always remember that and being in an analysts shoes. Find good people and stick with them.  If you haven't, then maybe your team or shop isn't the best environment.. 

This happens literally all the time and you'll get a new associate within a few days. Your VP/D or whoever is above your ASO on the deal will likely play down for a bit and help you check stuff / get ASO up to speed. No big deal.

Good news is if there's 4-6 months left on the deal you're likely not in so deep your new associate won't be able to figure it out. Have seen ASOs leave a few weeks before a big, very heavy deal was announced, that's the only situation where the analyst does kind of get screwed.

And obviously as everyone else is saying, do not tell a soul

sad that these questions even come up these days. u should know better than to think about snitching on something like this 

Imagine thinking that someone leaving during a live deal was an unprecedented circumstance

You are a rat

You don't say anything and if you did it would look very poorly on you . People probably suspect anyway- there are probably 10-20% overall looking to do the same exact thing once bonuses hit. 

Mind your own fucking business 

I'd highly recommend you mind your own business. Noone likes a snitch. Not even the staffer.

I can't tell you how many "essential" people I've seen depart over my career

You know what happens when they leave? Nothing, everything rolls along normally

None of us are terribly important

Leave "Brian" alone

This is great news for you, but might involve a little more work. Don’t rat out Brian or every single employee will think you are a little slimey rat and will never trust you professionally. People leave banking all the time, it is very normal and happens every year. They have a system for replacing people and it works out. Here’s what will happen:

• brian will give two weeks
• A new associate will take over the deal and brian will help them learn
• you will need to “step up” and fill in the gaps between what the new associate doesn’t know and what brian knew
• if you do this well, you will get greater responsibility on this deal and grow as a professional

Now I know you are wondering, “what if I get staffed on something between now and when brian leaves?” That’s fine, if you are over-staffed then they will take you off a transaction or an associate/ vp on another deal will be forced to actually do their job or do some analyst work while you are overloaded. 

You should send this thread to your team and identify yourself as OP so they know they can’t trust you 

Game theory you have two options, both with considerations. 

1) Rat out Brian. This is the emotional decision. Only logical if Brian is the devil. People have egos and hierachies exist. The thought of a more jr. analyst sidestepping a well liked associate may offend people. But everybody likes a villain that unites morale against -- you're the villain btw.  

2) Don't rat out Brian. Rational thinking will lead you down this path. But you sacrifice the opportunity to use Brian's exit to make yourself more significant and relevant. 

Keep mouth shut.  If your title is accurate (AN1), they will not have you, a VP, and an MD on a deal w/out another senior analyst/associate when Brian leaves...If you were close to the 1 year mark, were an exceptionally high performer, and everyone else was at capacity, maybe.  But in your circumstance, not a shot.  Bottom line, don't violate the sanctity of the pen. It's not going to help make your life easier over the next 4-6 months, and your rep w/ the other analysts/associates will rightly be ruined if you go to the staffer. Brian would also not be out of line sending you a calendar for a hands appointment if he found out you did that.

I’m just hoping that this thread breaks into:

I AM BRIAN.

1. Confident there’s never been a deal on history that “went down the crapper” because an associate quit.

2. How in the world are you supposed to ask for additional help without ratting him out?

Don't rat him out, there is no upside and tons of downside. Plus it's just the right thing to do.

That's cool i didn't know Brian DeChesare was in your group