Focus Areas
- “Can Law Firms Innovate Remotely? Thompson Hine’s Deborah Read Is Ready to Find Out,” The American Lawyer, June 9, 2021
- “How This Am Law 200 Firm Committed to Diversity in Partner and Associate Hiring,” The American Lawyer, April 28, 2021
- “Amid 2020 Challenges, Thompson Hine Grew Slightly, Furthered Efficiency Efforts,” The American Lawyer, February 4, 2021
- “Clients See ‘Innovation Gap’ in Big Law, Report Finds,” The American Lawyer, December 2, 2020
- Thompson Hine’s innovative behavioral interviewing process featured in “Want to Work at This Firm? First Take This Psychological Assessment,” The American Lawyer, December 18, 2019
- The Firm’s innovation as a differentiator in a competitive legal market featured in “Recruiting Top Legal Talent May Not Just Be All About Pay,” Bloomberg Law, November 14, 2019
- Read discusses Thompson Hine’s approach to partner succession planning in “Exit Strategies: Aging Partners Are Forcing Firms to Reconsider Retirement,” The American Lawyer, November 1, 2019
- Innovating in the face of a recession highlighted in “‘This is Who We Are’: Tech-Minded Law Firms Don’t Fear Recession,” Bloomberg Law, September 9, 2019
- Thompson Hine featured in The AmLaw 200 Firms of Note in “On Budget and Booming – Thompson Hine owes its growth, in part, to its reliance on budgets,” The American Lawyer, June 1, 2019
- The firm’s budgeting process, one element of its innovative service delivery model, featured in “Mandatory Budgets? At a Law Firm? You Have Got to Be … Thompson Hine,” The American Lawyer, February 14, 2019
- “Big Talk, Little Action? Survey Details Big Law ‘Innovation Gap,'” The American Lawyer, March 28, 2018, discusses the firm-commissioned study on innovation in the corporate legal market
- “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Deborah Z. Read,” Shaker Life, Summer 2018
- Thompson Hine’s service delivery approach featured in “Q&A: Deborah Read, Managing Partner, Thompson Hine,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, April 25, 2017
- “Deborah Z. Read: A new ‘PaTH’ for her firm,” ABA Journal, September 13, 2016
- “Writing Her Own Story: Deborah Read Is More About the Work Than Trailblazing as MP of Thompson Hine,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal, July 31, 2012
Press Releases
- Thompson Hine Issues Second Innovation Report, “The Innovation Gap Persists” – 69% of In-House Counsel Say Law Firms Have Not Increased Innovation; December 2, 2020
- Thompson Hine a Finalist for American Lawyer Legal Services Innovation Award: Also Named a Finalist for Outstanding Law Firm of the Year by Litera Microsystems for Innovation, October 4, 2018
- The Financial Times Ranks Thompson Hine #1 for Innovation in “New Working Models”: Managing Partner Deborah Read Also Recognized as Innovative Individual, December 18, 2015
- “A Match Made in Innovation,” Business of Law Forum, New York
- “From Hiring to Billing: Digging Into Core Firm Management Issues,” Business of Law Forum, New York
- “Women in Hedge Funds,” Thompson Hine 10th Annual Hedge Fund Seminar
- “How Women Lead,” Spotlight on Leadership Series
- “Women in Leadership,” Cleveland Leadership Center, Lunch with Leaders Series
- “Options for Donors Seeking Influence Over Charitable Gifts: A Comparison of Private Foundations, Supporting Organizations, and Donor Advised Funds,” Regional Exempt Organizations and Financial Advisors Forum
- “Current Nonprofit Regulatory Trends: Are Your Practices in Need of Reform?”, Lorman Education Services
- “Emerging Standards for Nonprofit Board Governance (Including H.R. 4 Governance Provisions),” Business Volunteers Unlimited
- “Intermediate Sanctions: What Every Advisor Needs to Know,” The Ohio Society of CPAs
- “Research and Technology Transfer,” American Health Lawyers Association
- “Health Care Law Update,” Health Care Financial Management Association of Ohio
- “Developments in Nonprofit Governance: The Evolution of New Standards,” Cleveland Tax Institute
- “The Art and Science of Trusteeship,” Grantmakers in Aging National Meeting
- “Board Liability Under Intermediate Sanctions,” Education Finance Council National Meeting
- “Limited Liability Companies and Potential Uses by Health Care Providers,” National Health Lawyers Association
- “Taxable Subsidiaries and Limited Liability Companies,” National Health Lawyers Association
- Chairperson, Exempt Organizations Session, Cleveland Tax Institute
- “Use of Compliance Plans by Health Care Providers,” Cleveland Society of Anesthesiologists
- Invited speaker on numerous topics for client presentation and the Cleveland Tax Institute
- Selected by Forbes as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers, for her early pivot to innovation
- Inducted into the Cleveland Business Hall of Fame, 2022
- Named one of the “Power 150,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, 2020, 2022
- Named one of the “Power 100: Top Leaders of Northeast Ohio,” Cleveland Magazine, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- Named one of the Top 30 Leaders of Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Magazine
- Named a “Legal Rebel,” ABA Journal, 2016, for bringing innovation to the practice of law
- Honored as Woman of the Year at the Women Looking Ahead Law & Justice Awards, May 2016
- Selected as one of the Top 10 Legal Innovators in North America, The Financial Times, 2015
- Named to The National Law Journal‘s inaugural list of Outstanding Women Lawyers, 2015
- Listed in “Northeast Ohio’s Most Connected,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, 2015
- Named one of the “Power 100: The 100 Individuals Who Most Influence Northeast Ohio’s Economy,” Inside Business, 2013-2015
- Selected as a Woman of Note, Crain’s Cleveland Business, 2012
- Named a “Woman Worth Watching,” Diversity Journal, 2012
- Honored as part of “Women Who Give Back,” Kaleidoscope Magazine, 2001 and 2012
- Received the ATHENA Award presented by Inside Business, 2010
- Named a Woman of Achievement by YWCA Greater Cleveland, 2006
- Honored as a Rainmaker by Northern Ohio Live, 2006
- Named a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer, 2024
- Selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers list (Tax), 2004
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2003 for Health Care Law, Nonprofit/Charities Law, and Tax Law; named the Best Lawyers® 2023 and 2025 Nonprofit/Charities Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland
- Honored as Volunteer of the Year, United Way of Greater Cleveland, 1998
- AV Preeminent® Rated (Tax, Health Care) by Martindale-Hubbell®
Professional Associations
- US Law Firm Group (USLFG), president
- The 50 Club
- In Counsel with Women
- Leadership Cleveland, Class of 1999
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Cleveland Tax Institute, panel chair
Community Activities
- Say Yes to Cleveland Foundation, director; Finance Committee, member
- Greater Cleveland Partnership, director; Nominating Committee, member
- Commission on Economic Inclusion, co-chair
- Business Volunteers Unlimited, director; Governance Committee,
co-chair - Playhouse Square Foundation, Board of Trustees, member; Finance Committee, member
Education
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1982
- Ohio University, A.B., 1979, summa cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts (inactive)
- Pennsylvania (inactive)
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. Supreme Court
- The Law Firm Disrupted: A Fresh Face at the Top of an Innovation Leader,
The American Lawyer
, February 22, 2024 - Thompson Hine Names New Managing Partner – Tony White to Succeed Deborah Z. Read,
Thompson Hine LLP
, February 21, 2024 - Thompson Hine Taps Former OSU Basketball Star As Next MP,
Law360
, February 21, 2024 - Clients Find Law Firms’ Innovation Efforts Fall Short,
Law360
, June 22, 2023 - Clients Still Find Law Firms’ Innovation Efforts Lacking,
The American Lawyer
, June 22, 2023 - Can Law Firms Innovate Remotely? Thompson Hine’s Deborah Read Is Ready to Find Out,
The American Lawyer
, June 9, 2021 - Amid 2020 Challenges, Thompson Hine Grew Slightly, Furthered Efficiency Efforts,
The American Lawyer
, May 6, 2021 - How This Am Law 200 Firm Committed to Diversity in Partner and Associate Hiring,
The American Lawyer
, April 22, 2021 - Clients See ‘Innovation Gap’ in Big Law, Report Finds,
The American Lawyer
, December 2, 2020 - Thompson Hine Issues Second Innovation Report, “The Innovation Gap Persists”,
69% of In-House Counsel Say Law Firms Have Not Increased Innovation
, December 2, 2020