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All Posts By

Deborah Farone

Apr 25
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We’re Less Diverse…Maybe

By Bylined Pieces
Yesterday, NALP released its latest diversity report, and while there are some gains worth noting, the broader picture is more complex. Yes, women now make-up more than 50% of those graduating law school. Yet according to NALP only 30% of partners at the firms that provided them with information are women. The proportion of Asian and Black associates has also…
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Apr 25
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A Healthy Firm’s Marketing and BD Plan

By Bylined Pieces
I always want to know what enables law firms to operate and grow when it comes to marketing and business development. Last week, I had a chance to participate a terrific webinar moderated by  Paula Viera of Mattos Filho, featuring Daphne O'Connor of Arnold & Porter, Sarah Heaton Concannon of Quinn Emanuel and Jean Marie Campbell of Jenner & Block.…
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Apr 10
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A Dinner to Celebrate Breaking Ground

By Insights
Why did I love this dinner last week? Not only because it helped launch "Breaking Ground: How Successful Women Lawyers Build Thriving Practices," my book (for women and men!) Not simply because of the program itself, though the book signing and moderated conversations with others were inspiring. It was due to the conversations that happened around it, before, during, and…
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Apr 10
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Authenticity, For Real

By Bylined Pieces
If there is one misconception I wish more lawyers and other professionals would let go of, it is this: Business development requires you to be someone you are not. I was recently interviewed by David Lat about my book, "Breaking Ground" 🪴  and what I learned from speaking with more than 60 rainmakers across four continents. One of the themes that…
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Apr 10
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What They’re Teaching in Law School

By Bylined Pieces
Last week, I had the joy of teaching a session at Columbia Law School. The topic was something we rarely talk about early enough in legal careers: knowing how business development works and the role of networks. Many assume that rainmaking is a skill lawyers learn much later on, after they make partner. I believe the foundation should start much…
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Apr 10
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Why We Need to Break Ground

By Bylined Pieces
I didn’t write my book because I believe women need different skills than men. I wrote it because I believe women deserve access to the same skills, the same insights, and the same so-called “secrets” to success. At its core, one of those skills is business development. Partners who can create their own client relationships and build a practice tend to have: --…
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Apr 10
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Culture and the Ship of Theseus

By Bylined Pieces
We often talk about culture within law firms and other organizations. Yet it raises an uncomfortable but necessary question What happens to culture when scale becomes the strategy? I’m always reminded of the Ship of Theseus question—one I often discuss with clients. In simple terms (the kind I can recall!), if you replace the planks of a boat one by one, at…
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Apr 10
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The Disconnect Between Law Firm BD and the Lawyers

By Bylined Pieces
There is a persistent and costly disconnect between law firm business development and marketing departments and the lawyers they are meant to support. It exists in firms of every size and reputation. Not every firm, but at many. At some firms, leadership has made a deliberate effort to integrate these professionals into the fabric of the firm. At others, the…
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Apr 10
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The Assumptions May Be Wrong

By Bylined Pieces
For years, we told professionals to be everywhere, say yes to everything, and trust that hard work alone would lead to business. Many learned the hard way that this model was unsustainable and often ineffective. In my research for "Breaking Ground," and in a recent article I wrote for CEO World, a different pattern emerged. The women building the most durable practices…
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Apr 10
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The Best BD Training

By Insights
After training thousands of professionals at law and consulting firms, you begin to see what works in making the training impactful. While I love speaking at firm retreats, I am not a big believer in one-and-done communications. I think that to really make an impact, there needs to be a plan for follow-up. A few ideas: 1. Involve both your…
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