Business Development Manager – Commercial Litigation & International Disputes

Covington & Burling LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 239,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid workplace

Job summary

Covington & Burling LLP seeks an experienced Business Development Manager to drive strategy for Commercial Litigation and International Disputes. You will partner with senior lawyers and leadership to develop and execute BD plans, client engagement, and marketing strategies on a global scale.

The role requires strong communication, budget management, and the ability to coordinate across multiple offices and teams to achieve growth and market positioning objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in professional services marketing and business development; law firm experience preferred.
• Experience supporting commercial litigation and/or international disputes; cross-border teams is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to build credibility with attorney stakeholders.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented with strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to collaborate across functions and mentor junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Strategize and plan business development and marketing for assigned practices.
• Translate practice priorities into individual business development plans with clear objectives.
• Monitor market developments and provide research to support client meetings and initiatives.
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts, and performance tracking.
• Prepare and follow up on strategy meetings with the Management Committee.
• Develop and implement client development initiatives to expand existing relationships and generate new opportunities.
• Collaborate with global offices to execute plan objectives and initiatives.
• Identify client targets and facilitators; manage outreach and meetings.
• Coordinate client development trips including outreach strategy and follow-up.
• Create targeted pitches, proposals, RFIs, and RFPs with a cross‑functional team.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM platforms

Job description

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and results-oriented Business Development Manager to support the firm's Commercial Litigation and International Disputes practices.

The Business Development Manager will report to the Director of Business Development for Litigation and work closely with practice group leadership, senior lawyers, and the broader Marketing and Business Development Team to develop and execute business development and marketing strategies, external communications, and client engagement initiatives. The Manager will work as part of a collaborative, global team, with direct support from two Specialists.

The ideal candidate will have experience partnering with attorney stakeholders and collaborating across teams and functions. The candidate will also bring a strong understanding of the litigation market and work closely with lawyers across the assigned practices to develop and implement business development and marketing plans that support strategic objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Business Planning

• Support the development and execution of business development and marketing strategies for assigned practices in partnership with practice leadership, senior lawyers, and key Business Development colleagues.
• Work with lawyers to translate practice priorities into individual business development plans, including clear objectives and actionable next steps.
• Partner with the Marketing Research Team to monitor market and industry developments, identify client opportunities, and provide research and intelligence supporting client meetings and business development initiatives.
• Develop and manage marketing and business development budgets for assigned practices, including forecasting and tracking performance against budget.
• Support practice leadership in preparing for and following up on strategy meetings with the firm's Management Committee.

Business Development

• Work directly with lawyers to develop and implement business development initiatives designed to expand relationships with existing clients and generate new business opportunities.
• Partner with Marketing and Business Development colleagues across the firm's global offices to support execution of business plan objectives and key initiatives.
• Work with practice leadership and lawyers to identify actionable client targets and attorney facilitators.
• Manage the planning and execution of client development trips for key lawyers, including target identification, outreach strategy, meeting development, and follow-up.
• Manage the development of targeted pitches, proposals, RFIs, and RFP responses, working with lawyers and the global RFP Team to develop customized materials and coordinate preparation for key opportunities.
• Partner with Client Relationship Managers and Business Development liaisons to strengthen existing client relationships and identify opportunities for expanded engagement.
• Support the integration of lateral attorneys, including business development planning, client integration, and market positioning efforts.
• Develop recommendations for CLE and other client-facing programs aligned with practice objectives and client interests.

Marketing

• Advise on in-person and virtual events that advance practice objectives, including concept development, audience targeting, content planning, and post-event follow-up, while partnering with the firm's Events Team on execution and logistics.
• Identify and evaluate external sponsorships and speaking engagements that advance marketing and business development objectives.
• Develop and maintain representative matter descriptions that accurately reflect practice experience and market position.
• Manage submissions for legal directories, rankings, and industry awards, including Chambers and other relevant publications.
• Develop and maintain practice, industry, and region-specific marketing collateral that supports business development objectives, including website content, brochures, and other external communications materials.
• Partner with the CRM Team to develop and maintain focused client and prospect mailing lists that support targeted outreach initiatives.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to Business Development Specialists working on assigned practices, including delegating projects and supporting their professional development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in professional services marketing and business development; law firm experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting commercial litigation and/or international disputes practices is highly preferred; experience supporting cross-border teams is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build credibility and productive relationships with attorney stakeholders.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and a proactive, solutions-oriented approach.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain attention to detail, and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions and levels of the organization and foster productive working relationships.
• Experience mentoring or supporting the development of junior team members is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, CRM platforms, and other marketing, research, and knowledge management technologies.

Status: Exempt

Reports to: Director of Business Development - Litigation

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Salary range is $190,000 – $239,000 dependent on experience level and varies based on

Covington & Burling LLP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any aspect of employment, including hiring, salary, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefits, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, disability (including physical handicap), or any other improper criterion.

Covington will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with applicable laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.