Business Development Specialist, Core Services/Litigation

New York, NY 

Summary

The Business Development Specialist will support the Director of Marketing Operations in helping to drive business development and marketing initiatives across the firm and specifically for the Litigation practice. As a member of the department’s Core Services Team, the Specialist will be working closely with the Business Development Manager for the Firm’s global Litigation practice supporting practice group leadership, individual partners and the Firm’s global Business Development, Marketing & Communications team, to develop and advance strategic business development planning and related initiatives, support pitches for new business and enhance the external market profile of the firm’s Litigation practice and partners globally.  The Business Development Specialist will also collaborate closely with other business development professionals at the firm on cross-selling efforts and other firm wide revenue generation initiatives.

The Firm’s Litigation practice, with more than 130 lawyers globally, is highly regarded in the market.  Their attorneys have deep experience in a wide range of litigation, investigation and compliance matters, with a focus on securities & enforcement, antitrust, M&A, global compliance & anticorruption (FCPA), intellectual property, international trade and investment, white collar defense and other complex commercial disputes.

A successful Business Development Specialist will be a self-starter and proactive in identifying new business development opportunities, knowledgeable about the legal industry and litigation/investigation practices in particular, and able to execute efficiently to achieve effective business development results.  The Business Development Specialist must also be comfortable interfacing with partners, business development colleagues and other business services professionals at all levels.  Strong organization skills, a willingness to “roll up the sleeves,” and exceptional attention to detail and the ability to produce professional work product are also important attributes for the Business Development Specialist role.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Business Development Manager in helping with the development and implementation of the business plans and targeted business development initiatives of the practice group and its partners.
• Draft and coordinate custom pitches, client presentations and responses to RFPs, always tailored to the client’s business and preferences.
• In connection with RFPs, analyze requirements, participate in the development of a clear and focused strategy, draft comprehensive responses, and collaborate with partners and business development team members within the Litigation practice and across practice groups and offices as appropriate.
• Conduct and summarize research on new and prospective clients, competitive intelligence and market considerations, utilizing litigation-related research tools such as Westlaw/Lexis and Lex Machina, in preparation for client meetings, pitches/RFPs and other business development initiatives.
• Prepare submissions for legal directories and research guides (e.g., Benchmark Litigation, Chambers, Global Investigations Review, Legal 500, other practice specific directories), including the organization, drafting and editing of submissions, coordination of researcher interviews and tracking of rankings and accolades.
• Develop, draft, organize and maintain practice group marketing collateral and experience content, including practice area profiles, brochures, matter lists, website and intranet content.
• Maintain and/or build litigation specific contact lists in firm-wide CRM system (InterAction).
• Identify, plan and provide logistical support for all internal and external marketing events, speaking engagements and conferences.
• Coordinate publication of the Firm’s Need-to-Know Litigation Weekly, a newsletter that highlights notable developments in the Firm’s core litigation and investigations practice areas.
• Ensure that all marketing collateral (e.g., pitches, brochures, client presentations, industry materials, web content, etc.) are presented in a consistent format of the highest professional quality, and, where relevant, apply design techniques to improve their readability and impact.
• Update the Firm’s FCPA and Sanctions microsite and assist with the production of our annual and quarterly reports.
• Other projects and duties, as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• Experience with directory submissions, as well preparing pitches, presentations and other marketing materials.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, InterAction; familiarity in working with any desktop publishing software would be a plus.
• Strong design skills, with proven ability to develop and prepare professional and polished PowerPoint presentations.
• Credible understanding of business and legal landscape, with knowledge of law firm litigation and investigations practice a plus.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills and prioritizes work effectively.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and demonstrable ability to establish alignment between the expectations and strategies of different stakeholders.
• Ability to identify and implement solutions to business and people issues.
• Strong and creative problem-solving skills; superior analytical skills.
• Superior ability to prioritize and manage multiple, concurrent projects.
• Confident, flexible and resilient team player.
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Adapts style to build relationships across all levels.
• Works effectively under the pressure of deadlines with little supervision.

Education

• Minimum of 4 years of frontline work experience in business development and marketing, preferably in an international law firm or professional services environment.
• Equivalent of 4 year college degree required.
• Relevant graduate degree a plus.

Physical Activity/Other Miscellaneous

• Must be flexible to work extended hours as needed and communicate outside of standard business hours.