Business Development Specialist

Ropes & Gray LLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Ropes & Gray LLP is seeking a proactive Business Development professional to support the Private Equity practice in its London office. The role involves coordinating client development plans, drafting pitches, and collaborating with global Marcomms teams to win work.

You will work closely with lawyers and business teams, handling market research, materials development, and event support while contributing to strategic BD initiatives within a leading international law firm.

Qualifications

• University graduate with a strong academic record.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate business development for the Private Equity practice, aligning with London and EU teams.

Skills

Business development

Client development

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Team player

Proactive mindset

Strategic objectives

Attention to detail

Education

University degree

Tools

Harvey

ChatGPT

Work Front

PowerPoint

Word

Excel

InterAction

DealCloud

Job description

Ropes & Gray is a global law firm that operates across 17 time zones and has more than 1,400 lawyers based in the United States, Europe and Asia who collaborate seamlessly to provide clients with high-quality representation in innovative industries that shape the global economy. Our clients include private equity firms, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, financial institutions, mutual funds, hospital systems, and more. Client by client, we've built a reputation for first-class work, a pragmatic approach, and impeccable standards of service and ethics. We count many of the world's most respected companies and institutions as longtime clients, and serve organizations at all stages of development. Clients trust us with their most important matters because they know we understand their businesses and deliver the results they need.

Our deeply rooted culture of teamwork means that our lawyers work closely with colleagues around the world to provide support to clients. This collaborative approach encourages our lawyers to work alongside partners and clients on sophisticated matters. We work as a team to support a range of leading legal practices, including private equity, M&A, capital markets, finance, asset management, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, data, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

Ropes & Gray London is one of the largest offices in the Ropes & Gray network, and the hub of the firm’s EMEA network and set up in London in 2010. While we are now an established presence in the UK, we've retained all the buzz of our start-up years. It makes us a little bit different: it means we have the stature and resources of a major international law firm combined with the pace, inclusivity and career progression of a specialist firm. We are, of course, always professional, but we are personal, and personable with it. As a group, we're international, diverse and our team is always professional, but uniquely personable. With around 26 partners, 110+ Lawyers and a trainee intake of 15, everybody in the office knows everyone else. That means that every hire we make is an important investment for the firm, because each team member has a distinct role to play in delivering excellent service to our clients.

The department

This role reports to the Business Development (BD) Manager and supports the London and European business development efforts of the Private Equity practice. The primary focus is devising and delivering business development support across clients and industries.

The core of the role centres on coordinating projects with lawyers and business teams, and implementing client and business development priorities for the London office in alignment with the London business plan and the firm's global strategy. The role requires close collaboration with members of the European Marketing and Business Development team, including colleagues based outside the United Kingdom, in particular the US and Asia.

The role

Practice group business planning and budgets

• Working alongside the London BD team and US BD/Practice Development (PRAD) teams, support the development, coordination and implementation of business and client development plans for the Private Equity practice.
• Assist manager with budget planning and monitoring, including tracking expenses and supporting the identification of joint initiatives.
• Maintain frameworks for internal reporting and communication of business and client development activities.

Pitches and other client-facing documents

• Support the manager with the preparation of pitches, proposals, and capability statements by ensuring their accuracy and relevance, and collaborate effectively with the wider London BD team as well as the US BD/PRAD teams.
• Conduct research on clients and stakeholders, provide first-draft-tailored client-specific content, and ensure consistency in all materials.
• Support the manager with internal BD meetings for the Private Equity practice, including agenda creation, note-taking, and follow-up on action items.
• Support the planning and execution of client meetings (e.g., presentations, workshops, round tables), and follow up to capture actions and ROI.
• Monitor market and practice-driven trends and themes to enhance client engagement, and share relevant insights to support collaborative initiatives with the London BD team and the US BD/PRAD teams.

Key client relationship management

• Support client initiatives for the Private Equity practice’s targets including identifying collaborative opportunities with the London Business Development (BD) team and the US BD/PRAD teams.
• Assist in creating and implementing BD/client relationship action plans.
• Track and manage relevant client and business development activity for reporting and pitching purposes.

Market research

• Support the delivery of client, market, and competitor research, tailoring data for partner or client consumption in collaboration with the Library research team.

Go-to-market materials and process

• Maintain and updated master slide decks, lawyer bios, presentations, brochures, capability statements, and intranet pages for relevant practices and industry content.
• Work with lawyers and local and global Marcomms team to capture deal information and maintain up-to-date matter records.
• Contribute to the production of thought leadership reports/articles, service capability materials, and industry updates.
• Coordinate and support submissions to directories, league tables, and awards panels.

Events and conferences

• Assist in reviews and recommendations for industry conferences, partner speaking engagements, sponsorships, and related activities.
• Support the planning and implementation of targeted client and industry events, sponsorships, and training programs.
• Support on the project management of event logistics in collaboration with the Events team and secretaries.
• Contribute to relevant global/EU/London business development projects as required.

Qualifications and Skills

• University graduate with a strong academic record.
• Minimum three years’ experience in business development or client development within a professional services environment; law firm experience is advantageous but not essential.
• Knowledge of Private Equity practice and EU markets is desirable.
• Collaborative team player with a proactive, solution-oriented mindset and commitment to client service.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to work independent as well as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to draft accurate, tailored client-facing materials.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to adapt communication for varied stakeholders.
• Demonstrate critical thinking, curiosity, and the ability to support strategic objectives
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with experience managing multiple priorities and meeting tight deadlines.
• Skilled in using relevant technology and software (e.g., Harvey, ChatGPT, Work Front, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, InterAction and DealCloud).