Business Development Manager – M&A

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care benefits

Job summary

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is seeking a Business Development Manager to support the Americas Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practices. The role will primarily cover Americas M&A and requires knowledge of the specialist M&A and PE practices.

You will report into the Senior M&A BD Manager and collaborate closely with attorneys and the global BDMC team. The position demands a high‑energy, proactive team player who can handle multiple priorities, pitches, RFPs, submissions, and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant business development experience in a professional services firm
• Comprehensive understanding of M&A and PE terminology and deal types
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and within cross‑functional teams

Responsibilities

• Develop pitches, RFP responses, and deal lists tailored to opportunities from start to delivery
• Manage directory and award submissions and league table processes
• Coordinate with global BDMC teams and practice leadership on cross‑selling and client targeting
• Support practice group meetings, document key takeaways, and follow up on actions
• Monitor client activities, competitors, and market trends; liaise with Strategic Pricing for budget questions
• Plan and execute internal and external events, seminars, and webinars, and assist with sponsorships

Job description

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have fourteen offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than fifty countries.

Since 1946 our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

The Business Development Manager will play a key role in supporting the strategic objectives and driving growth for the Americas Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Private Equity (PE) practices. This position will be tasked with primarily covering Americas M&A and should have knowledge of the specialist practices involved in M&A and PE M&A transactions. The role will report into the Senior M&A Business Development Manager and will work closely with attorneys and other members of the Global Business Development, Marketing & Communications (BDMC) team.

Responsibilities

• Develop pitches, RFP responses, and deal lists from start to finish, ensuring each is precisely tailored to specific opportunities, and manage the entire process from initial concept through to delivery, effectively showcasing the practice group’s capabilities.
• Manage the preparation of directory and award submissions maintaining and enhancing practice group credentials to align with strategic goals.
• Supervise the league table submission process, including coordinating with global BDMC business development teams.
• Contribute to the Firm’s Public Company Group and Private Equity Transactions Group’s business development efforts.
• Partner with senior BD team members and practice leadership on cross-selling and client targeting, including initiatives related to the firm’s priority client program.
• Support and attend practice group meetings, develop agendas, document key takeaways, and follow‑up on agreed actions.
• Conduct ongoing monitoring and analysis of existing and prospective clients, competitor activities, and industry or market trends.
• Liaise with the Strategic Pricing team on all budget‑related questions for pitches and RFP responses.
• Coordinate with other teams such as Events, PR/Comms, etc. to plan and execute internal and external events, seminars, and webinars, and assist with sponsorships.

Qualifications

The position requires a high‑energy and motivated team player who is also able to work independently and collaboratively. The individual must be able to adapt to change, balance competing demands, and manage demands outside of traditional business hours.

• 7 + years of relevant business development experience in a professional services firm, with a minimum of 2 years M&A/private equity legal marketing experience.
• Comprehensive understanding of M&A and PE terminology, deal types, and marketing to corporate and private equity clients.
• Familiarity with key business development data sources such as Capital IQ, Bloomberg, LSEG, Mergermarket, etc.
• Proven experience in writing pitches and proposals.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize and summarize information clearly.
• Experience working independently and within cross‑functional teams in a collaborative environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a proactive approach to generating new ideas.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Professional manner, consistently demonstrating the ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Expected to monitor emails outside of regular business hours.
• Flexibility to work outside regular business hours, including early mornings, evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Practice portfolio is subject to change to maintain alignment with the evolving needs of the firm.

The estimated base salary for this position ranges from $160,000 to $180,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will be determined based on various job‑related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, the scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This is an exempt role, meaning it is not eligible for overtime pay.

• Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law.

Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.

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