Deborah Farone

"I’ve worked in the government for a decade. Now I'm supposed to build a practice?" "I’ve been in-house at a corporation for 10-plus years. How am I supposed to get clients?" So many talented mid-career lawyers face these issue. Jumping into the law firm pool to build a practice can be awkward - especially when your counterparts are already swimming…

You're an experienced lawyer, so what is holding you back as a rainmaker? Earlier in my career, I worked with a particularly very tough, but brilliant female corporate partner. As the associates at her firm agreed, when her name showed up on their phone, their heart skipped a few beats and they immediately thought, “This will not be easy.” I…

As a woman who aspires to build a practice, do you need to: A. Play golf like Jack(ie) Nicholaus B. Network with prospects while drinking spiked slushies and martinis? C. Say an enthusiastic "yes!" to joining every bar association and women’s networking organization?   After working with hundreds of successful women partners in law firms, I know the answer is…

For those of us who admit to having been glued to (all nine seasons of) "Suits" or any of the other series depicting lawyers, you are familiar with the Hollywood version of the profession. Each lawyer convincingly practices in numerous areas of the law, all while of course looking fabulous. Each lawyer litigates, masters M&A, handles trusts and estates matters…

If you are old enough to remember the Dick and Jane books that were used to teach reading to young children, you’ll recall these stories always attempted to teach an essential lesson. In the business of running a law firm, marketing alignment is an essential for even the most esteemed law firms. A challenge that many professionals in law firm…

As appeared in the November/December issue of PM Magazine. Managing the marketing function in a professional service firm is tough. It's particularly rough when you are on the frontlines leading a department, producing great work, and dealing with professional revenue builders, including lawyers, accountants, consultants or architects. One of my CMO clients recently said to me, "The stress of having…

How do you make the ask? How do you sell? Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with dozens of law firm partners in Europe, engaging in insightful conversations about the challenges lawyers face in building their practices and how they network. One recurring theme stood out— the universal concern of how to make the ask when it comes…

At a recent conference, I shared four archetypes that lawyers often embody when they communicate on social media, particularly here on LinkedIn. Everyone has their unique way of navigating these platforms, guided by their communication skills, personal creativity barometer, and comfort level. However, patterns emerge, and it's fascinating to observe these archetypes at play.   1. The Firm Cheerleader The…

It’s great to make new friends. I was lucky enough to do that this week in Paris. It reminded me that it’s never too late to meet amazing people who can add so much to your life. A big thank you to Paul Marmor, Helen Burness, Sneha Ashtikar Roy, and Olga V. Mack for appearing on today’s panel for the…

Whether it means walking into a bakery and being offered a freshly baked cookie or leaving a luxurious European-style pharmacy and being given free samples of moisturizer and perfume on your way out, it’s a delight to receive something unexpected. It’s a “little extra” and while it’s not necessary, it always strikes me as being incredibly lovely. I am bound…