Overview
A dynamic international law firm is seeking a Business Development Executive to join its London office.
This role will support the firm’s Europe and Middle East Corporate practice, including Corporate M&A, Private Equity, Emerging Growth/Venture Capital, Equity Capital Markets, Tax and Funds business development initiatives, working closely with the global Corporate BD team on the business development tactics for the practice. Working within the larger Corporate Department, this role will liaise across other practice groups and task forces with a primary focus on enhancing the firm’s profile, strengthening relationships with key clients, and creating opportunities for collaboration across groups. While primarily a UK and EME focussed position, the successful candidate will work with peers, both BD and lawyers, worldwide.
The Business Development Executive will play an essential part in pulling together the firm’s wide ranging capabilities, providing practical and tactical support to drive revenue through a full spectrum of marketing and BD efforts. Together with the BD Managers, the successful candidate will be able to work in a fast-paced atmosphere, managing multiple tasks and requests from numerous stakeholders, and possess a keen ability to prioritize. This individual will carry through with project planning and ROI measurement, staying close to market trends and maintaining an awareness of competitors.
This role would suit candidates who are able to manage multiple deadlines, is highly detail orientated and will enjoy building relationships with partners and other lawyers, as well as working as part of a large global BD and Marketing team.
Key Responsibilities
New Business
- Support the Business Development Managers in various projects as they relate to business development efforts associated with the Corporate practice group.
- Work with others, coordinating pitch materials, presentations and responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs); facilitate presentation preparation by assisting with creating and editing materials.
- Work closely with U.S., EME and Asia counterparts to ensure a comprehensive offering to clients.
Planning, Research and Analysis
- Implement activities arising from targeting and business plans and regular monitoring of achievement against these plans.
- Assist with developing group meeting agendas and presentations, and prepare and circulate meeting summaries.
- Collate information on clients and help attorneys focus on opportunities at partner conferences, speaker events and/or business trips/client meetings.
General Business Development
- Coordinate contributions and input related to attorney experience and client information into business development systems including CRM and Foundation.
- Edit marketing collateral, including practice area descriptions and attorney biographies for print, website and intranet; facilitate posting updates to firm website and intranet as required.
- Assist and guide attorneys with ideas and planning for publication and campaign development.
- Work closely with attorneys to draft, edit and coordinate posts for blogs and LinkedIn pages; coordinate client alerts and podcasts.
- Manage and maintain the collection of information for, and production of, internal marketing materials including monthly newsletters, mailing lists, internal blogs, and capabilities documents.
- Coordinate events such as company-hosted client seminars, webinars and event sponsorships.
- Work as appropriate with the firm’s retained external legal directories consultant on legal directory submissions.
- Work from time to time with the global PR teams on PR initiatives and profile raising.
- Assist attorneys with their own professional profiling/BD efforts, i.e. assist with LinkedIn profiles, events and networking, bio creation/editing.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Technologically savvy and able to quickly learn new database systems.
- Extremely detail oriented, proactive and self-directed with ability to independently manage and appropriately prioritize multiple projects and competing priorities under tight deadlines, sometimes with minimal oversight.
- Able to demonstrate sound professional judgment and a high degree of poise and professionalism when interacting with internal and external contacts.
- Comfortable establishing effective firmwide working relationships with individuals at all levels.
- Possess, and be willing to continue to develop, strong organizational, project management and problem-solving skills.
- Able to work independently as well as part of a team, and be flexible in approach.
- Enthusiasm for learning. It is important that the individual is keen to develop their knowledge of the legal sector and can quickly grasp complex subject matter and technical terms.
- An eagerness to learn about individual partner practices and client bases, and the confidence to ask questions.
- Ability to work collaboratively with people at all levels, including BD colleagues, partners and clients throughout different geographies and time zones. A team player with excellent people skills.
- Sensitive to cultural differences and issues.
- One to three years of experience in a professional services marketing role is desirable but not required.
- The candidate must be able to demonstrate exceptional organizational and time management skills, strong writing ability, a positive attitude, and great work ethic.
