Business Development Manager (Litigation)

Proskauer Rose LLP; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Proskauer Rose LLP is seeking a highly motivated Business Development Manager for the Litigation department to partner with lawyers and colleagues on global client and business development activities.

The role focuses on leading strategic BD initiatives, market visibility, and client events to drive growth and cross-sell opportunities across practices such as Antitrust, IP, International Arbitration, and Mass Torts.

Qualifications

• At least 8-10 years of relevant experience required; prior law firm business development experience a plus; 3+ years of litigation practice experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic business development initiatives within a professional services environment, preferably a law firm
• Robust project management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative working style
• Strong time management skills and the ability to work on multiple projects; works well in a fast-paced, demanding environment
• Works well independently with limited supervision, as well as part of a larger team
• Candidate must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage to deadlines
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint

Responsibilities

• Develop a deep understanding of the Litigation Department’s strategic objectives for each of its distinct practices, key sectors, clients, competitive landscape, and market trends to identify and pursue new opportunities, cross-sell initiatives, and support client growth
• Execute on key initiatives identified in the Group’s strategic business plans, with the support of rest of the client development team
• Attend and help manage regular meetings with sub-practice working groups as they related to marketing and business development initiatives, document action items, and drive accountability and follow-through of next steps
• Work with lawyers to develop compelling pitch materials and in developing relationships with clients
• Track market and regulatory changes, working with the marketing intelligence team
• Lead strategic business development efforts by developing persuasive, research-driven messaging for presentations, proposals, and RFP responses; collaborate with the RFP, Pricing, and LPM teams as appropriate to craft competitive and tailored fee arrangements
• Ensure all business development activities and related information—such as pitches and client meetings, as well as experience lists, lawyer bios, practice descriptions and client information—are accurately captured and consistently updated with high-quality data
• Analyze success rates, proactively drive and track follow-up actions
• Support continuous improvement by participating in debriefs, tracking outcomes, and sharing insights
• Partner with Communications, Digital Marketing, PR, Social Media, and Creative Services teams to develop and execute integrated marketing campaigns to elevate the profile of the Department and its lawyers through thought leadership through various channels including client events, blogs, newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and video, etc. Oversee conference participation by evaluating advertising, speaking, and sponsorship opportunities; advising lawyers on strategic involvement; coordinating logistics and deliverables; and ensuring all activities stay within the approved budget.
• Develop customized ranking and award submissions, including Chambers, Legal500, Benchmark and various other national and regional directories and awards, supported by the Awards team
• Lead execution of strategic marketing initiatives aligned with the practice group’s growth objectives, including industry penetration efforts, promotional activities, and the development and deployment of targeted marketing collateral.
• Partner with lawyers, Events Team and other Business Development colleagues to strategize, manage and successfully complete client events such as seminars, conferences, and webinars, aligned with the practice group strategy
• Arrange pre-event briefings to formulate a strategic event plan / networking strategy, including target client outreach and evaluating attendee list to prioritize outreach and follow up activities
• Proactively lead on event debriefs and follow-up activities
• Collaborate with the broader Client Development team on developing, refining, and sharing firm-wide client development protocols, procedures, and best practices
• Assist with developing junior members of the Business Development Team

Skills

Project management

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Independent & team work

Leadership

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The world’s leading organizations and global players choose Proskauer to represent them when they need it the most. With 900+ lawyers in key financial centers around the world, we are known for our pragmatic and business-savvy approach.

Proskauer is the place to turn when a matter is complex, innovative, and game-changing. We work seamlessly across practices, industries and jurisdictions with asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, Fortune 500 and FTSE companies, major sports leagues, entertainment industry legends and other industry-redefining companies.

Proskauer is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and strategic individual to partner with lawyers and colleagues across the Business Development team on global client and business development activities for a broad set of practices within the Litigation department. Groups within the Litigation department include but are not limited to the following: Antitrust, Appellate, Asset Management Litigation, Bankruptcy Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, International Arbitration, and Mass Torts/Product Liability.

The Business Development Manager is a highly visible and partner-facing role that will provide strategic support in the execution of practice-focused priorities that drive market awareness, demand, and relationship growth. The manager will be expected to form strong relationships with assigned partners and to develop and manage projects independently.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Client Development

• Develop a deep understanding of the Litigation Department’s strategic objectives for each of its distinct practices, key sectors, clients, competitive landscape, and market trends to identify and pursue new opportunities, cross-sell initiatives, and support client growth
• Develop a deep understanding of the Litigation Department's strategic priorities, key clients, sectors, competitive landscape, and market trends to identify business development opportunities, drive cross-selling initiatives, and support client growth.
• Execute on key initiatives identified in the Group’s strategic business plans, with the support of rest of the client development team
• Attend and help manage regular meetings with sub-practice working groups as they related to marketing and business development initiatives, document action items, and drive accountability and follow-through of next steps
• Work with lawyers to develop compelling pitch materials and in developing relationships with clients

Pitching & New Business

• Track market and regulatory changes, working with the marketing intelligence team
• Lead strategic business development efforts by developing persuasive, research-driven messaging for presentations, proposals, and RFP responses; collaborate with the RFP, Pricing, and LPM teams as appropriate to craft competitive and tailored fee arrangements
• Ensure all business development activities and related information—such as pitches and client meetings, as well as experience lists, lawyer bios, practice descriptions and client information—are accurately captured and consistently updated with high-quality data
• Analyze success rates, proactively drive and track follow-up actions
• Support continuous improvement by participating in debriefs, tracking outcomes, and sharing insights

Market Visibility

• Partner with Communications, Digital Marketing, PR, Social Media, and Creative Services teams to develop and execute integrated marketing campaigns to elevate the profile of the Department and its lawyers through thought leadership through various channels including client events, blogs, newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and video, etc. Oversee conference participation by evaluating advertising, speaking, and sponsorship opportunities; advising lawyers on strategic involvement; coordinating logistics and deliverables; and ensuring all activities stay within the approved budget.
• Develop customized ranking and award submissions, including Chambers, Legal500, Benchmark and various other national and regional directories and awards, supported by the Awards team
• Lead execution of strategic marketing initiatives aligned with the practice group’s growth objectives, including industry penetration efforts, promotional activities, and the development and deployment of targeted marketing collateral.

Events

• Partner with lawyers, Events Team and other Business Development colleagues to strategize, manage and successfully complete client events such as seminars, conferences, and webinars, aligned with the practice group strategy
• Arrange pre-event briefings to formulate a strategic event plan / networking strategy, including target client outreach and evaluating attendee list to prioritize outreach and follow up activities
• Proactively lead on event debriefs and follow-up activities

Team Engagement & Development

• Collaborate with the broader Client Development team on developing, refining, and sharing firm-wide client development protocols, procedures, and best practices
• Assist with developing junior members of the Business Development Team

Qualifications:

• At least 8-10 years of relevant experience required; prior law firm business development experience a plus; 3+ years of litigation practice experience preferred
• Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic business development initiatives within a professional services environment, preferably a law firm
• Robust project management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative working style
• Strong time management skills and the ability to work on multiple projects; works well in a fast-paced, demanding environment
• Works well independently with limited supervision, as well as part of a larger team
• Candidate must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage to deadlines
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint

This position will require physical presence in Proskauer’s offices on a regular basis (at least 3x per week, or more, if it becomes the policy of the Firm or as business needs require). The anticipated compensation range for this position is $140,000 - $200,000. The actual salary offered will be based on a number of factors including but not limited to the qualifications of the applicant, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

Proskauer is committed to providing a work environment that includes equal opportunity without regard to race, color, gender, age, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), marital status, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, or any other legally protected status.