,

What a Dynamic Wonder Woman in Business, Julie Stapel of Morgan Lewis in Chicago!

,
Stapel Headshot.jpg

Julie Stapel

Employee Benefits Attorney Extraordinaire

About Julie…

Julie helps clients negotiate investment-related agreements of virtually every type, including investment management, trust, securities lending and transition management agreements, as well as many different types of trading agreements. She represents employee benefit plan investors in all types of private fund investments, negotiating fund documentation and side letters to address ERISA and other risk management issues. She also counsels financial services and investment management clients on ERISA compliance. 

Co-leader of the firm’s Fiduciary Duty Task Force, Julie also advises on fiduciary governance, including the formation and operation of benefit plan fiduciary committees.

She works with plan fiduciaries to implement ERISA compliance best practices and manage fiduciary risks. She also helps clients remain in compliance with ERISA’s ever-changing reporting and disclosure obligations.

Julie speaks frequently on ERISA-related topics. She has spoken before the Committee on the Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA), the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), the John Marshall School of Law, and at various events sponsored by Pension and Investments magazine. In addition to these speaking engagements, she regularly addresses client fiduciary committees and investment staff, performing fiduciary training and presenting updates on changes in the law. She is also president of the Chicago Chapter of Worldwide Employee Benefits Network (WEB).

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, she was a partner in the employee benefits and executive compensation departments of an international law firm, resident in Chicago. Before that, she served as general counsel to a registered investment adviser, gaining experience with ERISA and its impact on investment managers and collective investment funds.

For the Fun Part…

Americans began listening to game shows on the radio and were immediately hooked on the excitement and thrill of competition. As television came of age in the 1940s and ’50s, game shows made a natural transition to the new medium. There’s something about watching contestants match wits onscreen: We love to play along, shouting answers at the television.

“We play games at home, we play games at parties, we go to clubs and play games. Americans love games,” says Bob Barker, host of the long-running “The Price Is Right.” Some game shows were edgy, such as “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” or they could be educational, such as “Jeopardy.”

Having fun with celebrities became a staple for Julie Stapel. She is bright, dynamic, witty, and has a lot of grit. Just as she tells stories of her lifelong love of game shows, I can bet the celebrities tell stories of Julie Stapel.

Here is her latest great moment on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”?

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Julie Stapel

Contact Julie…

Julie K. Stapel
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
77 West Wacker Drive, Sixth Floor | Chicago, IL 60601
Direct: +1.312.324.1113 | Main: +1.312.324.1000 | Fax: +1.312.324.1001
julie.stapel@morganlewis.com | www.morganlewis.com

Connect with Julie…

LinkedIn:

in/juliestapel/

Twitter:

@JulieStapel

Wonder Woman in Business, Cheryl Aufdemberge

Aufdemberge_Cheryl.jpg

Cheryl Aufdemberge

CEO, Big Red Tech Works, LLC

I always say a woman alone has power; collectively we have impact. Traditionally we have been taught to be competitive with one another, because there was such a scarcity of jobs at the top. It’s so clear that strategy doesn’t work. The truth is that raising each other up and channeling the power of collaboration is truly how we’ll change the equation—and have a lot more fun along the way.

There is a boys’ club where women never felt comfortable, so we decided to create a Girls’ Lounge more than six years ago where everyone feels like they belong. We discovered two things:

1. There is power in the pack.

2. You realize your strengths make the table better.

~ Shelley Zalis

About Cheryl

Cheryl is passionate about helping lawyers reach their digital marketing goals. She always wanted to practice law but the opportunity never arose so she chose to become a marketing tech serving the legal community.

Cheryl loves all things tech and social. Her years of experience reside in the realm of websites, blogs, e-marketing, CRM, social media and online research. Cheryl is a member of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City (FXofKC), International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA), Social Media Club of Kansas City (SMCKC), and International Legal Technology Association (ILTA).

When she isn't working, you can find Cheryl planning/managing events for local nonprofit organizations.

There is so much about Cheryl that is special, different than most women. As the world tries to pit one woman against another — and many take the bait — Cheryl shows kind support for other women in business. She is a tech genius, understanding SEO and other social media strategies that help businesses and law firms succeed in raising their profiles and building their reputations.

Cheryl understand the art and science of lifting others. That, and she is a very funny woman. I love that about her. I am grateful to have Cheryl in my posse.

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Cheryl Aufdemberge

Cheryl A biopic.jpg

Contact Cheryl

Cheryl Aufdemberge, CEO

Big Red Tech Works, LLC

www.bigredtechworks.com

LinkedIn - Cheryl Aufdemberge

Twitter - @Cheryl528

Wonder Woman in Business, Michelle Tillis Lederman and "The Connector's Advantage"

Lederman.jpg

Michelle Tillis Lederman

CEO, Executive Essentials

Michelle Tillis Lederman, one of Forbes Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of four books including the internationally known, The 11 Laws of Likability, and the #1 new release The Connectors Advantage. Michelle is a connection creator and CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. A former finance executive and NYU Professor, Michelle is a regular in the media appearing on NBC, CBS, Fox, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, CNBC, and others. Michelle is known for helping people work better together and advance their individual impact.

Check out her new book The Connector’s Advantage!

Michelle and I had quite a robust yet warm conversation about so many powerful topics. You will enjoy the podcast, I am sure.

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Michelle Tillis Lederman

Downloads:

Book images: https://michelletillislederman.com/resources-page/#photos

FREE GIFT Link: http://michelletillislederman.com/giftpack/

Book Bonuses: www.TheConnectorsAdvantage.com  

 

Social Media:

Website: http://www.michelletillislederman.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleTillisLederman

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/communicationexpertspeaker

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtlederman

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichelleLederman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtlederman/

Contact Michelle:

Michelle Tillis Lederman, CSP, Connection Creator

www.MichelleTillisLederman.com

Author, The 11 Laws of Likability and The Connector’s Advantage

CEO, Executive Essentials, www.ExecutiveEssentials.org

Connect on  LinkedIn         

Phone: 973-531-7663

Helping People Work Better Together

Wonder Woman in Business, Badass Lady Legal Marketer, Katie Barnard

Katie+Barnard.jpg

Katherine Hollar Barnard

CEO, Firesign Marketing

Katherine (Katie) Hollar Barnard, Chief Executive Officer

Firesign | Enlightened Legal Marketing

Katie started Firesign to help legal industry clients attract, win and retain business. She draws upon more than 10 years of experience at two of the nation’s largest law firms to build brands that connect and business plans that deliver.

As the chief marketing officer at Lathrop & Gage, and then Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Katie led all business development and marketing communications for the national Am Law 200 firms. She started the client feedback program at Lathrop, now in its ninth year, and launched the award-winning agribusiness practice. Her full-scale rebrand of Shook earned “Best Identity” from the Legal Marketing Association’s Midwest chapter. During her Shook tenure, she also created a business development dashboard to show pitches and wins in real time, and most relevant to Firesign clients, her department brought in eight figures of new work.

Katie’s in-house marketing teams won recognition for branding, websites, internal programs and other tactics, but she may be more proud that she outlawed stock photos of gavels, law books and the scales of justice at both organizations.

Her experience extends beyond the discipline of marketing into the business of law; she is adept at marshalling resources, staff and technology. She has advised on leadership transitions, mergers and acquisitions, and office openings and closings.

A former journalist, Katie previously covered legal issues for the Associated Press and three newspapers. As a reporter, she learned to deliver under deadline, simplify complex ideas and wield a ruthless grammar standard.

Presentations

  • Young Lawyer Essentials: Biographies and Social Media, Johnson County (Kan.) Bar Association - May 2018

  • Professional Development Workshop, Hispanic National Bar Association LGBT Leadership Summit - September 2017

  • Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing the Power of AI and Selling It Internally, Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference - March 2017

  • The Power of Brands, International Association of Defense Counsel Midyear Meeting - February 2016

  • Keeping it Legal on Social Media, Social Media Club of Kansas City - January 2016

  • CMO Roundtable, Legal Marketing Association - Kansas City Chapter - October 2015

  • Avoiding Public Humiliation on Social Media, Public Relations Student Society of America Summit, Kansas City - September 2014

  • Taking a Traditional Business into the Social Era, Social Media Club of Kansas City - April 2014

  • Law Firm Technology and What Clients Want: IT as a Catalyst, LEGALTECH - February 2014

  • Social Media for Law Firms, Association of Legal Administrators – Greater Kansas City Chapter - October 2013

  • Why the CMO is the CIO’s Best Friend, International Legal Technology Association Annual Conference - August 2013

  • Yikes! We’re a Meme, Public Relations Society of America – Greater Kansas City Chapter - January 2013

  • Career 2020: Take Control of Your Destiny, International Legal Technology Association Annual Conference - August 2012

  • The Next Sanjay Gupta? Expertise, Content and Engaging with the Media, Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference - March 2012

  • Client Feedback: The Essential First Steps, Legal Marketing Association’s Client Feedback Webinar Series - September 2010

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Katherine Hollar Barnard, CEO, Firesign Marketing

Picapalooza Just For Fun

Connect with Katie

T: 913.225.7707

E: khb@firesignmarketing.com

LinkedIn: in/katherinehollar

Wonder Women in Business FINAL_Oct 2018.png

FreemanMeansBusiness.com

Wonder Woman in Business, Patricia K. Gillette, Esq.

Pat G.png

Patricia K. Gillette, Esq.

Pat Gillette is one of the country’s leading experts and most sought-after speakers on gender diversity and equality.  She speaks regularly at law firm retreats, conferences, ABA meetings, State Bar meetings and industry events. 

For  most of the 40 years over which Pat practiced law, she was rated as a top employment litigator and trial lawyer by Chambers and other organizations and was a leader and rainmaker in her firms, At the end of 2015 she resigned as a partner at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe, LLP to pursue her passion for empowering women through keynote speaking and writing.  She was also invited to join JAMS to mediate employment cases and now has a successful mediation practice. 

Pat’s newest book, ”Rainmakers:  Born or Bred” is filled with practical tactics and strategies that can be easily implemented to enhance business development skills and books of business.  The book highlights the nationally acclaimed Rainmaker Study and includes helpful tips from rainmakers and clients across the country. This groundbreaking study, coupled with Ms. Gillette’s insights from her own experiences, brings a fresh perspective and approach to business development.

Rainmakers.png

Rainmakers: Born or Bred

Stripping back the negative associations many lawyers have with the ‘S’ word – selling – is a crucial step in redefining a lawyers approach to business development. This book explores the benefits to stepping out of the safety net of simply being a great lawyer – which, in today’s market, is a given. Successful rainmakers know how to truly engage with clients, to understand their business needs and challenges, and how to make their lives easier. These are the skills that attract and build sustainable, rewarding client relationships.

Rainmakers: Born or Bred helps you to identify those seemingly intangible aspects of selling that many lawyers think are unachievable, and provides you with practical ideas to implement as you set out on your journey to improve your business development skills. Packed with opinions and advice from actual clients and rainmakers alike, it will help you to make the most of the business development opportunities that present themselves every day – while staying true to your own personality.

Pat has been widely recognized for her work to advance women in the profession. Most recently, she was chosen as the 2018 recipient of the ABA Margaret Brent Award, the highest honor given to women lawyers for professional achievements and advancing the interests of women in the profession.  She has also received the ABA Golden Hammer Award, the California Women Lawyers Association’s Fay Stender Award, the Transformational Leadership Award as one of the Top Women Rainmakers, and the Barristers Association of San Francisco Award of Merit. 

Pat is the co-founder of the Opt-In Project, a nationwide initiative focused on changing the structure of law firms to increase the retention and advancement of women. Her team at the 2016 Diversity Lab Hackathon created the Mansfield Rule, requiring that 30% of all candidates for leadership positions be women or minorities.  The Mansfield Rule has been adopted by over 60 firms nationwide and is increasing the visibility and pipeline of women and minorities for leadership positions in firms and organizations.

Pat has been a Commissioner on the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, a member of ABA’s Gender Equity Task Force, Co-Chair of the BASF No Glass Ceiling Initiative, a member of the National Women Lawyers Association Board and Foundation, and she serves on several non-profit boards dedicated to protecting and promoting women, including Equal Rights Advocates and DirectWomen,

Pat is the proud mother of two successful and enlightened sons and lives in Kensington, California with her husband of 40+ years.  She was an elected official in her town and is active in political and community organizations and activities. We had a fantastic and quite robust conversation on our recent podcast. Enjoy the conversation here…

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Patricia K. Gillette, Esq.

Pat is available for engagements ranging from Keynote Addresses to Boardroom Consultations. She has delivered talks to premiere institutions and organizations throughout the country.  

To Connect with Pat:

Visit Pat’s website: patriciagillette.com
Visit Pat’s LinkedIn page: in/patriciagillette

Wonder Woman in Business, Deborah Farone -- and Her New Book Too!

Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing

Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing is a unique resource for law firm leaders, practicing attorneys, legal marketers, consultants, and educators who want to uncover the best marketing practices in the legal profession. Find out how the most successful law firm leaders are creating and developing firm cultures to encourage business development, and how smaller firms and single practitioners are executing on marketing plans to make an impact.

This book uncovers the best practices in the wide arena of legal marketing and covers topics including:

  • the most successful ways to create long-term relationships with clients

  • how personalities, leadership, and collaboration contribute to a firm’s culture and brand

  • what characteristics management should look for when hiring a CMO

  • how compensation, firm culture, training, and coaching can support and incentivize business development

  • steps to take to build an individual reputation and brand, including the use of press, speaking engagements, and social media

  • the essential approach to support women lawyers with business development — including ideas on networking, mentorship versus sponsorship, and authenticity in marketing

  •  how new technologies are being applied to deliver better service, attract clients, and generate business

  • the important role of legal operations, the procurement professional, and legal process outsourcing

  • practical methods for evaluating AI solutions to business needs such as billing, e-discovery, and technology-assisted review

Culled from scores of interviews with law firm leaders, chief marketing officers, and legal innovation visionaries, Best Practices provides actionable advice and real-world thinking. Each chapter is filled with information that can be scaled to apply to a single-person law practice as well as a large international law firm. In addition, the book features special “Think Pieces” from some of the nation’s leading experts in legal marketing.

Deborah Farone has had the unique opportunity to play a role in developing the best practices in professional services marketing by working with the most respected and demanding professionals in the world.

DF 2.jpeg

Part of marketing involves educating and coaching. Ms. Farone has enjoyed doing this in the academic arena as well as professionally. She has served as an adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University and has taught several courses, including “Effective Marketing and Public Relations for Professional Service Companies” and “Marketing and Public Relations for Law Firms,” the first courses of their kind offered by a major university.

Over the past two decades, Ms. Farone has carved out a niche by distinguishing herself as the chief marketing officer of two of the country’s most successful law firms and the founder of both firms' business development and communications departments. But before entering into the legal marketing profession, she sharpened her communications and business development skills by working at a global management consulting firm. When she applied for her first position out of college, she didn’t take no for an answer when applying to the PR firm she had her eye set on for her first job. After receiving numerous letters stating the firm was not hiring, the third letter she submitted to the firm along with a press kit demonstrating her experience did the trick.  She was hired as a coordinator in the firm’s new business department.

Career

Most recently, Ms. Farone was the CMO at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.  On the business development side, she worked with colleagues to create a business and industry intelligence unit to help generate business opportunities, craft practice development plans and prepare partners for all forms of presentations.  She also spent a large part of each day working with individual lawyers on their own business development plans. On the communications side, she dealt with crisis communications, as well as strategic public relations, social media, the Firm’s website and all marketing communications.  Prior to joining Cravath, Ms. Farone was the chief marketing officer at Debevoise & Plimpton. Working with professionals at these extraordinary firms, with their talented lawyers and staff, and focusing on innovative practices, has allowed her rare experience into how to craft effective marketing programs geared toward growing business.

Ms. Farone joined Debevoise & Plimpton from Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson), where she coordinated national press relations and marketing efforts.  Prior to joining Towers, she worked at Ketchum Communications (now Ketchum, Inc.).  While she started off in the new business department at Ketchum, she was quickly promoted to work on accounts for both investor and public relations clients.  Her clients included publicly-held and private companies in the financial, professional services and consumer product sectors. 

Speaking Engagements 

Deborah is a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences and retreats throughout the U.S. and in Europe. She currently serves along with Brad Karp of Paul Weiss as the co-chair of PLI’s annual “All Star Business Development for Lawyers” and as a co-chair of American Lawyer Media’s Legalweek conference. As a former adjunct faculty member at New York University and former President of the New York Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, she is well-versed on exciting ways to capture an audience’s attention and provide them with actionable take-aways. She is also a regular speaker at programs hosted by LMA, Thomson Reuters and Ellevate.

She presents to law firms and associations on a variety of topics, including:

  • Legal marketing trends

  • Rainmaking for new partners

  • Best practices of superstar rainmakers firm culture

  • Women and rainmaking 

Outside Activities

Ms. Farone is a founder of the CMO and CIO Roundtable, an invitation-only group of the county's leading law firms that meets annually to discuss best practices and stay abreast of trends in the legal profession and in marketing.  She is a past President of the Legal Marketing Association’s New York Chapter and past Chair of the New York City Bar Association's inaugural marketing communications committee. Ms. Farone is a charter member of the Luxury Marketing Council and a member of the National Investor Relations Institute, Elevate and the Council of Protocol Executives.

Ms. Farone has served as a Sponsor Vice Chair for The New York Public Library’s Spring Luncheon. She has also served as an appointed member of the International Trademark Association’s public relations task force, as Chair of the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s “Meet the Media” committee and an officer of PRSA’s professional service committee. Mrs. Farone also serves as an Advisor to the Chair of the Lawyers for the Library Committee of The New York Public Library. 

Honors

As a recent recipient of the Legal Marketing Association's Legacy Award, in recognition of making a distinguishable mark on the profession as a whole, Ms. Farone feels strongly about helping others achieve their success.   She has been honored at the YWCA’s Women Leader Lucheon and serves as a member of the organization’s Academy of Women Leaders.  For many years, Ms. Farone had served on the Board of Directors of The Girl Scouts Council of Greater New York.  

Education

Ms. Farone has a B.S. in Marketing and Mass Communications from Boston University’s College of Communications, where she graduated magna cum laude. Upon graduation, she was the recipient of the College’s Alumni Award for Student Excellence and a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. 

Some Favorite Instagram Photos

https://www.instagram.com/deborahfaronebestpractices/

502707536-612x612.jpg

Enjoy the podcast.

Deborah Farone, CEO

Farone Advisors, LLC

Contact Deborah:

Farone Advisors LLC

1185 Avenue of the Americas

Third Floor

New York, NY 10036

917-697-7055

LinkedIn: in/deborahfarone

Wonder Women in Business FINAL_Oct 2018.png

FreemanMeansBusiness.com

©2021 Freeman Means Business