associates
n. countablen. people you know through work or business rather than as close friends. You use this to describe colleagues or partners you spend time with for professional reasons.
n. individuals with whom one is connected in a professional or business capacity. Often implies a lower level of intimacy than 'friends' while suggesting a shared commercial or academic interest.
He invited several business associates to the dinner party.
After the merger, the senior partners met with their new associates to discuss the firm's future strategy.
The investigation focused on the suspect's known associates, specifically those who had access to the secure server during the weekend of the breach.
Almost always used in the plural form when referring to a group of professional acquaintances.