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All Posts By

Deborah Farone

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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Apr 10
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The Ties That Bind Us

By Insights
I'm not very original. Whenever I meet a rainmaker, I always ask the same simple question: "Where have your best clients come from?" The answer is remarkably consistent. “My best clients are people I’ve known forever.” “So much of this business is relationship-based.” “These weren’t quick wins. They took years.” What stood out isn't just who those clients were, but how early the…
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Apr 10
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Imposter Syndrome

By Bylined Pieces
Before I walked into a conference room, I used to have that flicker of doubt. What if I'm the one who knows the least? What if I'm not prepared to answer each question? After working with thousands of lawyers, I can tell you this: insecurity is not a "women's issue." Men feel it too. They may tend to voice it…
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Apr 10
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Is it Strategy or Capacity?

By Insights
Trigger Warning: One of the hardest conversations in a law firm isn’t about strategy. It’s about capacity. Managing partners often have a clear sense of where the firm wants to go: growth priorities, practice focus, lateral integration, client expansion and furtherance of their reputation. Each is important. CMOs are usually equally clear about what it actually takes to support those goals: people,…
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Apr 10
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What Lateral Partners Don’t Know

By Insights
When lawyers make a lateral move (whether from another firm, government, or in-house), the instinct is often to start fresh: build a new internal network, learn the culture, and prove yourself quickly. All of that matters. But "Breaking Ground" research surfaced two lessons from rainmakers that all partners, but particularly lateral partners, often underestimate. Both can make the difference between a slow…
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