Business Development Manager (Litigation Practices)

Department:  Marketing

Reports to:  Director of Business Development/Litigation

Office:  New York, Chicago or Washington, DC

Status:  Exempt

Position Summary

The Business Development Manager will support US Litigation and will be based in our client’s Chicago, New York or Washington, DC offices, working closely with the US Litigation Practice Group Leaders, and will report to the US Director of Business Development. The BD Manager will work with litigation sub-practice areas including: Appellate, Aviation, Antitrust/Competition, Class Action, Employment & Labor, Financial Services/Securities Litigation, International Arbitration, Product Liability, Trade Secrets and White Collar/Government Investigations. Additionally, the BD Manager will work with the firm’s Global Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Global Employment and Labor Practices, and will work closely with the leaders of the Global Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, Global Employment & Labor and other key partners.

Responsibilities

• Work with attorneys and professionals to create, prepare and coordinate customized and tailored proposals and pitches for new business development opportunities in response to client/prospects needs and requests.
• Develop annual strategic business development plans for the US Litigation Practice, Global Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice and Global Employment and Labor Practice with the Practice Leaders and other key partners and professionals.
• Develop an annual marketing and business development budget (MBD) for the practice with the Practice Group Leaders. Monitor and track MBD expenditures for expense management purposes.
• Support lawyers and professionals in the development, publication and promotion of thought leadership.
• Draft submissions for Chambers USA, Legal 500 and other directories and rankings submissions related to the practices and individual attorneys. Work with our attorneys and our Awards and Rankings strategist to strategize ways to increase our practice and individual attorney rankings and recognition.
• Conduct business development market analysis, industry and competitive intelligence research reports for business development opportunities and to be used to assist attorneys with business development and relationship-building initiatives.
• Work with the attorneys to identify, develop and support MBD initiatives to help our lawyers and professionals with speaking engagements and other events, including the production of PowerPoint and other types of presentations and exhibits.
• Actively participate in practice group meetings; report regularly to each practice on their initiatives and results.
• Organize and manage client/prospect and other events in addition to seminars/webinars/CLEs.
• Assist with the on-boarding of new laterals, including drafting lateral integration plans and working with the firm’s other groups to get the lateral on-boarded as quickly as possible.
• Supervise the management of client and prospect mailing lists.
• Build relationships and interface with the firm’s US and global Communications, Brand, Digital and Finance teams to advance the various BD initiatives.
• Manage and supervise a team of four junior team members assigned to the practice.

Experience & Qualifications 

• BA or equivalent required; JD, MBA or other applicable graduate degree highly desirable.
• Successful candidates will have 7+ years of experience at a law firm or professional services firm in a similar role.
• Previous law firm or other professional services experience is strongly preferred.
• Previous experience executing and evaluating the ROI of all BD initiatives to attract, retain and expand a loyal client base.
• Candidates will have strong project management and writing skills and be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.