For more than 30 years, I held senior marketing and business development leadership roles at top AmLaw 30 firms including Hogan Lovells and Goodwin, global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and other well-known organizations. Most recently, I served as Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for Hogan Lovells' Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice, leading strategy for a $900M+ global practice spanning more than 200 partners and nearly 800 lawyers.

I left that role to found Marketing&. After three decades leading growth strategy from inside premier firms, I wanted to bring that same rigor directly to the leaders who need it most: CMOs, marketing partners, and their teams, at firms like the ones I used to help run.

That in-house experience is the foundation of Marketing&. I've been on the inside, building brand, running BD strategy, managing budgets, and coaching partners, executives, and next gen leaders, at the scale premier firms actually operate. I know what it takes to move a growth plan from a slide deck to a functioning, adopted strategy, because I've done it as an employee, not only as an outside advisor.

Track Record

At Hogan Lovells, I helped the global Litigation, Arbitration and Employment practice achieve double digit growth through strategic business development programs and innovative content campaigns including the award-winning Proof in Trial podcast series. You can listen to me speak about the strategy behind Proof in Trial as a guest on the Fresh Ears podcast series,

At Goodwin, I led the marketing strategy behind the firm's "Goodwin Unprecedented" brand relaunch. This work was recognized by the Legal Marketing Association with a Your Honor Award for excellence in marketing and business development strategy. Earlier in my career, I led marketing strategy at Booz Allen Hamilton, and held communications and BD leadership roles across technology, telecommunications, and nonprofit organizations.

I hold a B.A., Magna Cum Laude, from Wellesley College.

How I Think About This Work

I've developed a reputation for turning teams around. I developed individuals into successful executives whose potential wasn't yet being recognized and helping teams move from being seen as a cost center to being valued as a strategic partner to firm leadership. One team I inherited was viewed internally as purely reactive, tactical support. Trust levels with practice partners were spotty at best, and expectations of the team were limited.  Within 12 months, by realigning the team's focus around business partnering, fostering an understanding of the business levers for the firm and our clients, and building direct relationships with practice group leadership, the team was recognized as a core strategic partner and its scope expanded to include advising on client targeting, content campaigns, and integrated cross selling initiatives.

Why I Do This Work Independently Now

I started this practice because I kept meeting marketing and BD leaders, and the partners they support, who were smart, capable, and stuck; not because they lacked talent, but because they lacked a strategic partner who had actually run this function at scale and could help them build both the plan and the team to execute it.

That's the work I do now: growth strategy, executive coaching, and team development for the leaders responsible for growth at premier professional services firms.

— Carolin Sagawa, Founder, Marketing&