Business Development Manager - White Collar Litigation & Investigations

Covington & Burling LLP; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 249,000; Full time

Job summary

Covington & Burling LLP is seeking a strategic, results‑oriented Business Development professional to support the White Collar and Investigations practice globally.

The role reports to the Director of Business Development for Litigation and collaborates with a Litigation BD Manager and two Specialists to drive targeted BD, marketing, and external communications initiatives for select groups within the practice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field.
• Demonstrated track record of success in marketing and business development; law firm experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting white collar and investigations is a significant plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership, proactivity, and sound judgment.
• Strong attention to detail and accountability under deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Consult with practice group leadership to develop BD plans and budgets; manage execution and report on metrics.
• Lead budget development and forecasting for assigned groups.
• Act as primary contact for practice leadership to provide strategic BD support.
• Coordinate preparation for meetings with Management Committee and report on activities.
• Direct end-to-end response process for RFPs/pitches with customized materials.
• Support events and targeted marketing campaigns aligned with BD objectives.
• Assist in integrating lateral attorneys within groups and coaching on BD goals.
• Provide competitive intelligence to inform strategy and outreach.
• Manage submissions to rankings, surveys, and awards.

Skills

CRM systems

Content management

Collaboration skills

Proficient in MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field

Tools

Foundation

Salesforce

Job description

Strategic, results-oriented role supporting the firm's global White Collar and Investigations practices. This position reports to the Director of Business Development for Litigation and works closely with a collaborative team, including a Litigation Business Development Manager and two Specialists. The Manager will lead the development and execution of targeted business development, marketing, and external communications initiatives for select groups within the White Collar Litigation and Investigations practice.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Consult with practice group leadership to develop business development plans for assigned groups and individuals, including fiscal year plans and strategic initiatives; manage execution, track progress, and report on performance against defined goals and metrics.
• Lead the budget development process for assigned groups and manage approved budgets throughout the year, including forecasting and variance analysis.

Business Development

• Act as a primary point of contact for practice group leadership and provide strategic business development support and guidance.
• Attend regular practice group meetings with the firm's Management Committee; coordinate preparation with practice leadership, reporting on business development activities and progress against business plans, including financial performance, pipeline, matter activity, and market trends.
• Direct the end-to-end response process for RFP/pitch opportunities, including the development of customized, client-centric pitch materials; track opportunity pipeline and report on win/loss trends to inform ongoing efforts.
• Contribute to the development of projects and initiatives to drive new business, expand existing client relationships, and identify cross-selling opportunities; provide strategic advice to leadership and partners on execution.
• Provide strategic support for business development events (e.g., seminars, webinars, client programs), ensuring alignment with practice priorities and coordinating follow-up.
• Plan and support targeted marketing campaigns aligned with specific business development objectives (e.g., market penetration, industry expansion, cross-selling).
• Support the integration of lateral attorneys within assigned practice groups.
• Counsel lawyers on personal business development goals, including coaching on targeting, messaging, and follow-through.
• Provide client, industry, and competitive intelligence, in coordination with the Research team, to inform strategy and targeted outreach.
• Serve as BD lead for select key client relationships (e.g., Relationship Manager program), tracking activity and reporting on progress.
• Actively manage and participate in related practice.
• Manage submissions to Chambers and other rankings, surveys, and award nominations, ensuring quality and consistency.
• Work closely with the Public Relations team to identify and leverage media opportunities that align with practice priorities.

Marketing

• Identify and research profile-raising opportunities (e.g., sponsorships, speaking engagements), and make recommendations aligned with strategic priorities and budget.
• Coordinate the systematic tracking of practice experience and successes for use in pitches, proposals, website content, and attorney biographies.
• Manage and coordinate updates to website content, brochures, and other external communications in collaboration with the Content team, ensuring consistency and accuracy across channels.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold high standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, particularly with respect to all sensitive and/or confidential firm and client information to which this position will have access.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated track record of success in marketing and business development; law firm experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting white collar and investigations is a significant plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership, proactivity, and sound judgment.
• Strong attention to detail and accountability for delivering high-quality work under tight deadlines and competing priorities.
• Experience supervising direct reports or mentoring junior team members is a plus.
• Experience using marketing and business development technologies, including CRM systems and content management platforms; experience with Foundation, Salesforce, or similar systems is a plus.
• Proficiency with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel is required.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work effectively with partners, senior stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.

Status: Exempt

Reports to: Assistant Director of Business Development - Regulatory

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Salary range is $190,000 - $249,000 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.