Business Development Manager - M&A/PE

A&O Shearman; New York (NY); On-site; USD 151,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

A&O Shearman, a leading global law firm, seeks a Business Development Manager for M&A/PE to support U.S. offices and partners. You will help develop BD and marketing strategies, coordinate pitches, manage credentials, and drive cross-office initiatives.

This role is focused on strategy, client targeting, and firm-wide initiatives within a fast-paced environment. Based in New York, the successful candidate will collaborate with senior BD leaders, support events, sponsorships, and media

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in legal or professional services in a high-profile environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Strong project management with multiple deadlines.
• Proven ability to influence partners and colleagues.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement BD strategies for M&A/PE and US offices.
• Prepare proposals, pitches, and credentials with attorneys.
• Onboard lateral hires and integrate new BD processes.
• Identify market trends and client opportunities.
• Coordinate cross-office projects and marketing collateral.
• Plan client events and manage sponsorships.

Skills

Communication

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Influencing ability

Client focus

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

MS Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide.

Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Department Purpose and Structure

The U.S. Marketing & Business Development team (U.S. MKT Team) is a sophisticated group of experienced professionals charged with guiding the Firm’s fee earners to grow U.S. and global revenues, expand existing client relationships and strategically tackle new client pursuits.

This is a team that is all-in. As business professionals at one of the largest law firms in the world, the U.S. MKT Team thrives on market challenges and outside-the-box thinking. It is a team where fresh ideas are not only entertained, they are encouraged.

Role Purpose

The Business Development Manager— M&A/PE role is a fantastic opportunity to gain global experience working for one of the largest law firms in the world and to learn the unique approach that a truly global firm utilizes towards business development and marketing.

The Business Development Manager – M&A/PE will support and work closely with partners to develop and implement business development and marketing strategies for the firm’s U.S. offices. The BDM will also work with business development teams across the firm to help support the M&A and Private Equity practices. This includes, but is not limited to, responding to client requests for proposals, coordination of involvement in firmwide initiatives, sponsorship and event management, collateral creation and management, client targeting exercises, coordinating of media opportunities with the communications team, thought leadership, and legal directory submissions.

Key Relationships

• Senior Manager of Business Development – M&A/PE (based in Washington D.C.)
• Director of Business Development – M&A/PE (based in Boston)
• Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer – Americas (based in New York)
• Partners and fee earners in the M&A/PE group
• U.S. business development team
• Peers across the wider and global business development, marketing and communications teams

Context

This role is partner facing and involves serving as the go-to for partners and other fee earners for all BD and marketing within the U.S. M&A and Private Equity groups. The BDM is crucial to the group’s execution of its strategy and to day-to-day success of the business. This role will involve strategy, pitches, market research, events and PR. There is also involvement in the day-to-day marketing processes management, planning, and execution.

Role and Responsibilities

• Practice strategy, planning and execution: Work closely with attorneys to develop and implement BD strategies and plans for each partner and practice; align initiatives with practice goals; build target client lists; track and report progress and outcomes of strategic initiatives; drive ongoing practice and client development.
• Pitches, proposals and credentials: Collaborate with attorneys to prepare and manage competitive proposals, credentials, pitches, and presentations for M&A/PE and network opportunities; deliver high-quality presentations for local and international audiences; ensure creativity, accuracy, and attention to detail throughout.
• Lateral integration: Support onboarding and integration of lateral hires; introduce BD processes, tools, and resources; facilitate collaboration with existing team members and ensure seamless client development continuity.
• Horizon scanning: Maintain deep understanding of key sectors; proactively identify market trends, client opportunities, and issues affecting clients; share actionable insights to inform BD activity and targeting.
• Cross-practice and cross-office integration: Coordinate projects across practices and offices; leverage the firm’s international network to develop new business and cross-sell; share best practices to enhance quality and efficiency; build strong links with the U.S. BD team.
• Marketing processes management: Develop and maintain effective BD/marketing processes; ensure attorney bios, photographs, experience, and website content are current and accurate; manage creation, updating, and distribution of marketing collateral and master practice decks.
• Collaboration and client listening: Partner effectively with global and local BD teams; implement pitch, matter, and relationship debrief processes; capture and incorporate client feedback to improve service delivery and win rates.
• Client events and sponsorships: Help identify and coordinate sponsorships; secure and prepare speaker opportunities; plan and execute client and charity events/seminars with the Events Specialist; manage materials, logistics, targeting, and alignment with BD objectives; conduct post‑event follow-up and evaluation.
• Deal lists and experience management: Maintain up-to-date master deal lists and experience repositories; ensure experience is captured in the expertise database; share relevant deal information with internal groups and external databases as appropriate.
• Market research: Conduct research on existing and prospective clients, competitors, and market developments; provide recommendations on effective marketing and client strategies.
• Marketing Discussion and Review: Arrange/lead meetings to review marketing progress and key client targeting, circulating information internally.
• Profile/PR: Draft and submit materials for legal directories and industry publications; work with Communications/PR to secure proactive media opportunities and maintain effective coverage of high-profile matters and market developments.
• Team management and professional competencies: Mentor and support junior team members; model strong communication, collaboration, initiative, professionalism, integrity, client focus, and a results-oriented approach.

Team

This position reports directly to the Senior Manager of Business Development – M&A/PE and works closely with other members of the U.S. business development team and global M&A/PE business development team.

Key Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of legal or professional services experience working in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.
• Willingness and enthusiasm to develop an in-depth understanding of the M&A and Private Equity sectors, with experience working in these sectors preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; high attention to detail and strong client focus.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills - with partners, key associates, and business development colleagues, and clients, including selling concepts and presenting to senior management.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize effectively while working on multiple conflicting deadlines.
• Proven track record of achieving strategic business objectives and using this experience to determine people and financial resources required for specific projects.
• Experience with budgeting, including writing business cases, is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced marketing and business development professional to work closely with an energetic group of people, in a fast-paced law firm environment. We are looking for an individual who is proactive, persistent and committed to “getting the job done,” and a supportive colleague.

Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability

A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at [e-mail] or call [phone] and ask for HR Transactions. This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $151,000-$185,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes a discretionary bonus, paid leave, life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.