Exceptional Experience

Deborah has unique experience in developing best practices by working with the world’s most respected and demanding professionals.

Over the past two decades, Deborah has carved out a niche by distinguishing herself as the chief marketing officer of two of the country’s most successful law firms and the founder of both firms’ business development and communications departments. But before entering into the legal marketing profession, she sharpened her communications and business development skills by working at a global management consulting firm.

Blue Chip Experience

Cravath, Swaine &
Moore LLP
Willis Towers Watson
Ketchum
Debevoise &
Plimpton LLP

Career

Prior to launching Farone Advisors, Deborah spent 14 years as the CMO at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.  On the business development front, she created a client and industry intelligence unit, based on the principles she saw in place at investment banks and other industries, to help generate business opportunities, craft practice development plans and prepare partners for new business and other forms of presentations. She regularly developed and led business development sessions for both partners and associates. On the communications side, she dealt with all marketing communications including crisis communications, strategic public relations and social media. Prior to joining Cravath, Deborah was the chief marketing officer at Debevoise & Plimpton. Working with professionals at these extraordinary firms and focusing on creating innovative ways to solve for sophisticated challenges has allowed her rare insight into how to craft effective marketing programs geared toward growing business.

Deborah joined Debevoise & Plimpton from Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson), where she coordinated national press relations and marketing efforts.  Prior to joining Towers, she worked at Ketchum Communications (now Ketchum, Inc.).  While she started off in the new business department at Ketchum, she was quickly promoted to work on accounts for both investor and public relations clients.  Her clients included publicly-held and private companies in the financial, professional services and consumer product sectors.

Part of marketing, involves educating and coaching and Deborah has done this in both the professional and academic arena. She has served as an adjunct Assistant Professor on the faculty of New York University and has taught several courses, including “Effective Marketing and Public Relations for Professional Service Companies” and “Marketing and Public Relations for Law Firms,” the first courses of their kind offered by a major university. In the last three years, she has lectured at Cornell Law School, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and Fordham University School of Law.

“Success at the highest level requires a marketing strategy based on both best practices and a bespoke solution.  The blueprints and building of an effective plan are created when you bring marketing experience and expertise to a firm’s individualistic culture and aspirations.”

—Deborah Farone, Founder, Farone Advisors LLC

Honors

As a recent recipient of the New York chapter of the Legal Marketing Association’s Legacy Award in recognition of making a distinguishable mark on the profession, Deborah feels strongly about helping others achieve their success. She has been honored at the YWCA’s Women Leader Luncheon and serves as a member of the organization’s Academy of Women Leaders. For many years, Deborah served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Girl Scouts Council of Greater New York. She serves as an executive counsel member of Ellevate.

In 2019, Deborah was inducted as a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. She also has been named as an officer for the International Bar Association’s Law Firm Management Committee.

 

Education

Deborah has a B.S. in Marketing and Mass Communications from Boston University’s College of Communications, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and served as a teaching assistant. Upon graduation, she was the recipient of the College’s Alumni Award for Student Excellence.

Outside Activities

Deborah is a founder and former leader of the CMO and CIO Roundtable, an invitation-only group of the county’s leading law firms that meets annually to discuss best practices and stay abreast of trends in the legal profession and in marketing. She is a past President of the Legal Marketing Association’s New York Chapter and past Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s inaugural marketing communications committee. Deborah is a charter member of the Luxury Marketing Council.

Deborah currently serves as an Advisor to the Chair of the Lawyers for the Library Committee of The New York Public Library. She has served as a Sponsor Vice Chair for The New York Public Library’s Spring Luncheon. Deborah has also served as an appointed member of the International Trademark Association’s public relations task force, as Chair of the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s “Meet the Media” committee and an officer of PRSA’s professional service committee.

What Leaders in the Profession Say

“

Deborah Farone is the leading expert in law firm marketing. Not only has she studied this complex topic from at the peak of the legal profession, her research into what works and what doesn’t is priceless for anyone interested in growing their business.

Heidi K. Gardner, PhD, Distinguished FellowHarvard Law School’s Center of the Legal Profession and author of Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos
“

Deborah is a connector, linking clients and legal service providers. She is our go-to person when we are looking for authentic industry knowledge and insights on where the legal market is trending.

Connie BrentonFounder of CLOC, V.P. of Law, Technology, and Operations, NetApp Inc.
“

Deborah helped us at Cravath develop internal systems from the ground up and obtained experience through working in the trenches and dealing with the most challenging marketing and public relations issues in professional services.

C. Allen ParkerInterim CEO and President, Wells Fargo & Company
“

Being savvy to best practices in business development is more critical now than ever. Deborah Farone is an industry leader who helps professionals navigate the evolving legal landscape. She brings an exceptional wealth of notable experience, insight, and forward thinking that continues to elevate our profession.

Cynthia P. VothDirector of Client Engagement & Innovation, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP, Legal Marketing Association President - 2019
“

Grace under fire. The clear-headed thinking to be a visionary when surrounded by hundreds of genius lawyers. The grit to survive the twists and turns that are modern law firms. Those are just three of the traits needed to succeed as an elite legal CMO. Farone has those and more.

Katrina DeweyFounder and CEO, Lawdragon
“

Deborah Farone has a unique perspective on the modern American law firm. Her years of experience inside “big law” make her an invaluable source for those who provide and consume legal services.

Evan CheslerChairman, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
“

The gold standard in marketing.

Ralph FerraraSenior Advisor, Brown Rudnick and former General Counsel of the SEC

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