Cynthia M. Holbrook
Director
Business Development-Litigation
As co-lead of Winston & Strawn’s global marketing and business development department, Cindy is jointly responsible for overall administration of the firm’s marketing communications and operations, practice and business development, and strategic planning functions. She reports directly to Winston’s firmwide managing partner.
Cindy also serves as the managing director of practice development for Winston & Strawn’s 500+-attorney global Litigation Department. In this capacity, she manages the department’s marketing, business development, and communications initiatives, and oversees its strategic business planning initiatives. The department’s practice groups include: Appellate and Critical Motions; Complex Commercial Litigation; eDiscovery and Information Management; Antitrust/Competition; Class Actions; Professional Liability; Sports Law; Product Liability; International Arbitration; Financial Services; Securities Litigation; and White Collar, Regulatory Defense, and Internal Investigations. She also oversees a number of cross-departmental task forces which focus on revenue-generating initiatives centered around current and emerging legal issues. Cindy also manages the performance of the firm’s Corporate practice development team, and jointly manages the performance of the firm’s practice development professionals based outside the United States.
In addition to her department-wide and practice-specific responsibilities, Cindy supervises the firm’s West Coast marketing and business development operations and supports the firm’s lateral partner recruiting and integration efforts. Moreover, she also regularly contributes to key firm-wide initiatives such as the redesign of the firm’s website and advancement of its digital media functions, and the development of various submissions for key media competitions. Her experience also includes managing branding, alumni initiatives, and marketing and business development activities for new offices and related to firm mergers, and developing lead-generation processes and protocols.
Cindy began her career as a commercial litigator. Since leaving the practice of law more than a decade ago, she has worked in both the legal and professional services industries. Prior to joining Winston, Cindy led marketing and business development functions for Kroll, Inc.’s Business Intelligence and Investigations and Financial Advisory Services practices (Western United States). Before that, she served as global director of marketing for O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where she oversaw the 900+-attorney firm’s marketing and client development team and directed and implemented global practice development strategies.
Cindy was recognized by the Legal Marketing Association Southern California Chapter's Senior Marketers Roundtable as a spotlighted member in April 2011.
Cindy is a current member of the Legal Marketing Association, a former board member of the University of Southern California Law Center’s Institute for Corporate Counsel, and a former member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. She has served on the planning committee for the Para Los Niños’ annual Cinco de Mayo fundraiser several times and is a supporter of The Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, the University of Southern California, the United Way, and a number of other non-profit organizations dedicated to cancer research, environmental preservation, and underprivileged children.
Credentials
Education
Cindy received a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California in 1991, where she was a member of the Dean's List, Phi Beta Kappa and the Golden Key National Honor Society. She earned a J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1995 and was admitted to the California bar the same year. She practiced general commercial litigation for five years, and she served as a Judicial Extern to the Chief Judge Emeritus of the Central District of California while attending law school.