McCarter & English names chief marketing officer

McCarter & English LLP expanded its executive team with the addition of a chief marketing officer, the first such executive the firm has hired in nearly 20 years.

Jill Himelfarb brings more than two decades of experience guiding AmLaw 200 law firms’ marketing efforts, according to the March 1 hiring announcement. She will be based in McCarter & English’s Washington, D.C., office.

According to a firm spokesperson, before Himelfarb’s arrival, the marketing department reported to a combination of directors and a chief advancement officer.

“Jill’s pragmatic, relationship-driven approach is a perfect match for our lawyers, professional staff, and clients. Her reputation as a trusted advisor to senior management teams, lawyers, and support personnel alike precedes her,” said firmwide managing partner Joseph Boccassini in a statement. “We know Jill’s leadership will continue to strengthen McCarter as the law firm of choice for clients as well as for lawyers looking for new opportunities. McCarter is most definitely in growth mode and we look forward to her counsel as the firm expands.”

Himelfarb’s work has focused on business development strategies, brand management, public relations and client engagement initiatives, McCarter & English said, most recently with Schiff Hardin (which merged with Arent Fox in March 2022), where she was CMO for six years. Her past work experience also includes senior marketing and business development leadership positions at Reed Smith; Venable; and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.

According to McCarter & English, Himelfarb’s career has been focused on growth that is designed to better serve clients.

She oversaw the business development function for the U.S. operations of a global firm, contributing to its expansion while the firm tripled in size through mergers and organic growth, and has implemented effective go-to market strategies involving industry- and client-focused teams, in addition to engineering internal collaboration programs, McCarter & English said. She’s also designed lateral onboarding programs to support successful partner integration and managed client feedback programs, providing actionable insights to attorney teams and management.

“McCarter has a dynamic mix of national practices with 375-plus down-to-earth lawyers, government affairs advisors and other professionals in major markets, savvy management and administration, and forward momentum,” Himelfarb said. “I could not be more excited about taking a seat at this table.”

The firm has 12 offices nationwide.

Prior to joining the legal industry, Himelfarb worked in the nonprofit sector, having raised money for the American Heart Association and the United States Holocaust memorial Museum. She is a longstanding member of the Legal Marketing Association.