Class of: 1985

Deborah Farone

Deborah Farone (COM’85) of New York, N.Y., published Breaking Ground: How Successful Women Lawyers Build Thriving Practices (PLI Press, 2026). She distills lessons from 60-plus interviews with leading women in the field and academics worldwide, revealing how “the most successful women in law have built enduring, profitable, value-driven practices in an industry still grappling with gender parity,” she writes. Deborah is founder and CEO of Farone Advisors LLC and a former chief marketing officer at Cravath,  Swaine & Moore and Debevoise & Plimpton. She has built her expertise at the intersection of branding, business development, and leadership.

From the Summer 2026 issue.