He prepared to lay off his secretary of 14 years and send longtime clients elsewhere.

One of his longtime clients was Literacy Partners, where he later served on the board.

Bruce Willis, a longtime client, is also a friend.

"They're all mine," he says of his longtime clients.

"Many of our longtime clients have expanded their parties this year, inviting more people than they've had in the past."

Ms. Gamble likes to take longtime clients there and sit outside.

But they often did not demand repayment for fear of putting their longtime clients into bankruptcy.

Nevertheless, some longtime clients have begun pulling away from Drexel.

Several longtime clients said they no longer needed her, strictly speaking, now that their children were of school age.

DuPont, a longtime client, wants a film about industrial glass.