Senior Business Development Manager - Antitrust & Competition

Covington & Burling LLP; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 177,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare insurance

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Covington & Burling LLP seeks an experienced Senior Business Development Manager to lead global BD and marketing for its Antitrust & Competition Practice. You will partner with senior lawyers and the Director of BD to craft strategies, campaigns, and client engagement initiatives across the firm’s offices.

The role requires partnering with leadership, managing budgets, and driving cross‑functional execution to advance the practice’s strategic objectives. California offices; hybrid work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field; advanced degree a plus.
• 7+ years in professional services marketing and business development, with leadership experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to influence senior attorneys.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration, multi-priority management, and mentoring preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the BD and marketing strategy for the antitrust practice in partnership with leadership.
• Guide stakeholders in developing and executing practice business plans with measurable milestones.
• Develop client development opportunities and monitor market developments.
• Oversee budgets and coordinate with global offices on initiatives.
• Lead pitches, RFIs, RFPs and marketing collateral in coordination with senior lawyers.
• Manage client trips and post-event follow-up with attorneys.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Communications/Business

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

CRM platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and results-oriented Senior Business Development Manager to lead the firm's global business development and marketing efforts for our top-tier Antitrust & Competition Practice Group.

The Senior Business Development Manager will work closely with the firm's Director of Business Development for Litigation and Investigations, Antitrust & Competition 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 ideal candidate will have significant experience partnering with senior attorney stakeholders and fostering collaboration across teams and functions. The candidate will also possess a strong understanding of the global antitrust landscape and will work closely with lawyers across the practice to develop and implement business development and marketing plans that support the practice's strategic objectives.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategy and Business Planning

• Lead the development and execution of the business development and marketing strategy for the antitrust practice in partnership with practice leadership, senior lawyers, and key Business Development colleagues.
• Guide attorney stakeholders and Business Development team members in developing and executing practice and individual business plans, ensuring clear objectives, measurable milestones, and alignment with firm priorities.
• Proactively identify and pursue client development opportunities aligned with the practice's strategic objectives.
• Monitor market, industry, and regulatory developments to identify emerging client opportunities and business risks.
• Develop and manage marketing and business development budgets for assigned practice areas.
• Partner with practice leadership on preparing for and following up on quarterly strategy meetings with the firm's Management Committee.

Business Development

• Work directly with senior 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 monitor progress against business plan objectives and drive execution of key initiatives.
• Strategize with practice leadership and senior lawyers to identify actionable client targets and attorney facilitators.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of client development trips for key lawyers, including target identification, outreach strategy, meeting development, and follow-up.
• Develop targeted pitches, proposals, and marketing collateral supporting the practice's strategic priorities in coordination with senior lawyers.
• Lead the practice's responses to pitches, RFIs, and RFPs, including coordinating preparatory sessions for relevant lawyers and business professionals. Collaborate with the global RFP Team on cross-practice opportunities.
• Leverage the firm's Marketing Research Team to analyze market opportunities and support attorneys' preparation for client meetings and business development initiatives.
• Partner with Client Relationship Managers and Business Development liaisons to strengthen existing client relationships and identify opportunities for expanded engagement.
• Support the strategic integration of lateral attorneys, including business development planning, client integration, and market positioning efforts.
• Develop recommendations for CLE and additional client-facing programs aligned with practice objectives and client interests.

Marketing

• Identify and lead strategic in-person and virtual events that support practice objectives, including concept development, audience targeting, content planning, and post-event follow-up, while partnering with the firm's Events Team on event execution and logistics.
• Identify and evaluate external sponsorships and speaking engagements that advance the practice's marketing and business development objectives.
• Develop and maintain representative matter descriptions that accurately reflect the practice's experience and market position.
• Lead the development of submissions for legal directories, rankings, and industry awards, including Chambers and GCR.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.
• Minimum of seven years of experience in professional services marketing and business development, including progressively responsible leadership experience.
• Prior law firm business development experience supporting antitrust litigation, antitrust investigations, and/or transactional antitrust practices is strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence senior attorney stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership, initiative, and sound judgment, with a proactive and 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 among diverse stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring and developing junior team members is preferred.
• 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 (must be local to one of our California based offices: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Palo Alto).

Salary range of $177,000 - $245,000 dependent on candidate experience.

Candidates hired for staff positions with a minimum work schedule of 30 hours per week are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance. Learn more about benefits at Covington.

https://www.cov.com/en/careers/staff/benefits

View Covington job applicant privacy notice here:

https://www.cov.com/en/job-applicant-privacy-notice

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.