Insights

After 14 years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and 14 years at another leading firm before that I made a call to a fellow CMO to share some exciting news: I was leaving and launching an advisory business. I also planned to write my first book. Her response? Congratulations. It was so nice knowing you. Full stop. End of conversation.…

I couldnt stop watching the video of Cherie DeVaux, the first female trainer to win at the Kentucky Derby. Shes jumping. Beaming. Completely overcome with joy. And it struck mewhen was the last time we had celebrations in a professional setting? We celebrate birthdays. Holidays. Milestones outside the office. But inside our organizations? When a firm lands a new client Wins a…

I've been talking with law firms about the important power of authenticity when it comes to business development. And I don't mean that in a vague, motivational way. Authenticity works because when you develop business in ways that feel genuine to you, you actually do more of it. Your prospects sense your enthusiasm. They can tell you're not putting on a performance.…

Ive been thinking about professional associations, like the Legal Marketing Association and how much they have evolved over the years. When I first started attending the annual LMA meetings, it felt like a collection of small chapters coming together once a year. It was collegial, a bit scrappy, and incredibly valuable. Fast forward a few decades, and its grown into…

Over the past few years, Ive had the chance to speak with dozens of extraordinary women rainmakers about how theyve achieved such incredible reputations and developed 5 star practices. Whats striking is that there isnt one pathbut there are some very consistent themes. Developing business takes longer than people expect. Trusted relationships matter more than almost anything else. And the…

Here are some business development secrets. I had the greatest time speaking with Lou Diamond CSP about professional services marketing and what makes lawyers become rainmakers. Some hints: 1. The most significant relationships between clients and their lawyers develop over time. That means - start lawyers early on in training them about business development, and help other to be persistent…

The following piece appeared on August 24, 2026 in Law360. By Deborah Farone Legal careers are often described in terms of milestones: admitted to law school, hired for a clerkship, accepted into a firm and made partner. But when speaking with lawyers who have gone on to lead significant practices or firms, a different story emerges. Their success is rarely…

This article was published in PLI Chronicle: Insights and Perspectives for the Legal Community, https://plus.pli.edu. Not for resale. June 2026  What does it take for a woman lawyer to build a thriving practice? That question has driven much of my research and work over the years, and recently I had the pleasure of exploring it on a PLI panel with…

As appeared in PM Magazine, May 2026.       When I set out to write Breaking Ground: How Successful Women Lawyers Build Thriving Practices (PLI 2026), my goal was straightforward: to understand how some of the most successful women in the legal profession actually develop business. Not in theory, but in practice, across firms, geographies and personalities. Through interviews…

One of the questions I get asked most often is this: when it comes to business development for lateral hires, should you coach them individually or train them as a group? The answer is both, and knowing when to use each makes all the difference. -- Individual coaching is the right choice when someone needs personalized support. Not every lateral…