Bylined Pieces

As featured in Law.com on August 25, 2021. For the last several years, there is one recurring question lawyers have been asking me: “What is the secret behind rainmaking?” After having served two long-term tenures as a chief marketing officer, first for Debevoise & Plimpton and more recently for 14 years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, I left to write…

As featured in "Forbes" on November 30, 2020. For the last two centuries, for most young lawyers, legal training in the United States has meant studying at law school and taking courses in civil procedure and constitutional law. What it hasn't provided, until very recently, are lessons in how to operate a business, how to innovate or how to think…

By Brad S. Karp, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and Deborah Farone, Farone Advisors LLC. As featured in PLI's "The Chronicle" on September 29, 2020.   Do you remember how natural it felt to invite a client to lunch, anticipating a great, far-reaching conversation, not only about legal issues, but also about careers, family life and the client’s…

As featured in "The American Lawyer" on October 23, 2018. Only when each part of a firm is working toward the same business goals can it truly flourish. When it comes to law firm performance, does alignment matter? The answer is an emphatic yes. In our collective 65 years entrenched in law firms, we’ve seen well-aligned firms soar and succeed…

As  featured in Forbes on July 9, 2018. The constant question marketing experts hear from professionals is: “What are the steps I should take to build my practice?” Building a practice within a larger organization, or even as a solo practitioner, is not an easy feat, but it is very much like being an entrepreneur. You have to look at…

As originally featured in "Forbes" on April 19, 2018. The concern over losing marketing staff is one of the topics I hear most often from chairmen and their CMOs. Regardless of how satisfied they are with their marketing departments, there is an undercurrent: With such high turnover in the field, will organizations be able to retain talent when there is…

As originally featured in “Forbes" on October 10, 2018. In college, I remember taking two separate courses: micro and macroeconomics. While neither of them sparked my desire to become a mathematician, they did demonstrate the collegiate version of interdependence between the micro (how much it would cost to buy a coveted pair of jeans) and the macro (why I likely…

As originally featured in "Forbes" on September 8, 2017. A few months ago, I shared a cab with one of the country’s most successful lawyers. Clients treasure his intellect and young lawyers jostle for the chance to learn from him. His practice consistently handles a number of very high-profile matters. For the entirety of the cab ride, I observed as…