How successful women rainmakers drive business

Deborah Farone has had the unique opportunity to play a role in developing the best practices in professional services marketing arena by working with the most respected and most demanding professionals in the world. Farone Advisors focuses on helping lawyers, law firms and other professionals and their firms with their marketing strategy, training and development and strategic planning, as well as speaking at retreats and workshops. She is the author of the best-selling book, “Best Practices: Marketing and Business Development for Law Firms” (PLI 2019), a book based on more than 60 interviews with leading law firm leaders and marketers, general counsel, and innovators in the profession. The book is carried by bookstores of the country’s highest ranked law schools, including Harvard, Yale and Columbia. Over the past two decades, Ms. Farone has carved out a niche by distinguishing herself as the chief marketing officer of two of the United States’ most prestigious organizations, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Prior to diving into the legal marketing profession, she honed her business development and communications skills by working at Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson), a global management consulting firm, and prior to that, at Ketchum Communications, where she focused on business development for professional services. Ms. Farone has also been involved in the academic arena. She has spoken at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School, Cornell Law School and Fordham Law School, and has served as an adjunct Assistant Professor on the faculty of New York University. While at NYU, she developed and taught several courses, including “Effective Marketing and Public Relations for Professional Service Companies” the first course of its kind offered by a major university.

Nadège Nguyen is a partner in Gide's Mergers & Acquisitions/Corporate practice group. Her practice covers domestic and cross-border acquisitions in the industrial, hospitality and aviation sectors. She obtained a Postgraduate degree in international law at Paris Sorbonne University, and a LL.M. in international business law at the University of London. Nadège joined Gide Loyrette Nouel in 1995 and became a Partner in 2004. She was elected Member of the Executive Committee (2015-2020). She was Gide Compliance Officer (May 2022-May 2025). She was elected Chair of Lex Mundi (2013-2014) and is currently an Officer of the Law Firm Management Committee of the IBA. Nadège recently advised TPG/Angelo Gordon and Air France.

Kosturi Ghosh is a Partner in Trilegal’s Bangalore office and a member of the Board. Her primary areas of practice are general corporate advisory, M&A, and private equity. Kosturi has been actively involved in several high-profile inbound and outbound acquisitions and joint ventures. She specialises in advising multinational clients on commercial, regulatory and strategic matters, on setting up processes and procedures to ensure compliance with Indian laws, structuring investments and exit options in several regulated sectors. She has done significant advisory and transactional work in IT, education, food and agriculture, and healthcare. Kosturi holds various industry body memberships such as at the International Bar Association where she holds the position of an officer of the Corporate and M&A Law Committee and is also a co-chair of Asia Pacific Mergers & Acquisitions Conference. Other notable associations where Kosturi actively participates includes IPBA, IMA, ICC, Spain – India organisation, USIBC, IFCCI and WinPE (Women in Private Equity). Kosturi has been a champion for the advancement of women in the profession of law. Her personal goal is to see an improvement in the ratio between women and men at the higher end of the corporate ladder and to mentor more women lawyers to believe that they can achieve both career and personal ambitions. She is the architect of several diversity and inclusion initiatives at Trilegal. Yet another significant initiative she led is a unique and first of its kind programme that is aimed at addressing diversity gaps in the institutional investment space, which has historically been an industry dominated by men. Kosturi was also a part of the Collegium of WinPE which stands for Women in Private Equity and has also served in the board of IWIRC. Kosturi Ghosh has supported the cause of the transgender community and voiced her opinion about recognizing transgender rights in India in the Chambers Diversity Forum and was recognised as ProBono Lawyer of the Year at Chambers Diversity Inclusion Awards 2020 for her work with Blank Noise, a non-profit organization that works towards empowerment of women and prevention of abuse through the medium of art. Kosturi is also a trustee at the Wow Kitty Trust. Kosturi has been recognized by various institutions from time to time. A few of them are: • Ranked individual in Corporate M&A practice by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific, 2023 • ProBono Lawyer of the Year at Chambers Diversity Inclusion Awards, 2020 • A leading Corporate M&A lawyer (RSG Report, 2017) • Special jury award, Women in Legal Leadership; IDEX Legal Awards, 2016 • ‘40 Under 40’ in Asia Pacific by Asian Legal Business • Leading Corporate M&A and PE lawyer in India (Chamber and Partners)

Jennifer Bishop is a senior partner at the law firm Aird & Berlis LLP, where she serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group and as Founder and Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Group. She is the Global Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s Women Lawyers’ Committee. Jennifer is recognized as a leading Canadian business lawyer by multiple legal ranking organizations, including Best Lawyers in Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and the Top 40 Lawyers Under 40. She has also been named one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence by Women of Influence+.

Dr Zeina Obeid is a Partner at Obeid & Partners based in Dubai where she practices in the Arbitration department as counsel and as an arbitrator in commercial and construction disputes. She is a fellow, accredited tutor and co-vice chair of the CIArb UAE branch. She is also the co-Chair of the IBA Young Lawyers' Committee, ICC YAAF representatives for Dubai and Lebanon and a member of the ICC Commission on arbitration & ADR. She has been ranked as a future leader in arbitration by Lexology.