Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Chief Client Development and Marketing Officer | Faegre Drinker
To Faegre Drinker’s knowledge, Lindsay Gotwald is the youngest C-suite marketing executive at a top 50 U.S. law firm. She was instrumental in the largest law-firm mergers of the last dozen years—when Faegre Baker Daniels was established through a merger in 2012 and when it became Faegre Drinker in 2020. Gotwald is responsible for the $1 billion company’s revenue growth, internal and external communications, marketing, and leading a high-performance team of more than 80 professionals in the United States and London. Understanding the firm’s relationships is key to success. “In the last year, I have overseen several strategy investments to help us better understand who knows whom across our global platform and the regularity of our contact with various clients. I am looking forward to realizing the benefit of these investments in the coming year and should also mention that this work would not have been possible without my awesome team,” she said.
Getting here: After graduating from DePauw University, Gotwald moved to Washington, D.C., for a marketing job, but she missed Indianapolis. She moved home and was considering law school, so she became a paralegal at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun before moving into marketing at Faegre Baker. She credits the firm’s mentors and professional growth opportunities for advancing in business development and communications.
First job: Tennis instructor, Washington Township Schools Community Tennis Program
Givebacks: Volunteer, Best Prep eMentors and United Way
Passion project: To honor their late daughter, Annie, who unexpectedly passed away in February, Gotwald’s family started a fund in her honor to advance STEM education in Westfield, where Annie attended Maple Glen Elementary School. “She wanted to go to Rose-Hulman like her dad, then become an engineer for NASA,” Gotwald said. They’ve already raised more than $200,000.
Influential moment: The 2020 merger of two large law firms in a suddenly virtual work environment. “That time frame is the most stressful period of my career, but it was also incredibly rewarding to play a part in helping my colleagues feel connected to the firm during a time of great personal and professional stress.”
Advice: Every interaction is an opportunity to develop your personal brand. “What do you want people to say about you when you aren’t in the room?”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.