Senior Business Development Manager - Litigation

Dinsmore-; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dinsmore is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager – Litigation to guide attorneys and practice teams in turning priorities into coordinated client-development activity. Collaborate with firm leadership, marketing, and colleagues to create structure, insight, and momentum for growth initiatives.

Preferred locations are within commuting distance of Chicago, Cincinnati, or Lexington offices, with flexibility for other locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field or equivalent experience required; JD or MBA a plus.
• Ten+ years of progressively responsible business development or marketing experience; law firm or professional-services experience preferred.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate with attorneys, leaders and professionals across offices and functions.
• Working knowledge of BD planning, pitches, client and market research, and relationship-management practices.

Responsibilities

• Partner with practice group and department leaders to develop practical business development strategy aligned with firm priorities and client needs.
• Help attorneys identify opportunities within existing client relationships, prospective clients, referral networks, and target markets.
• Coordinate strategic pitches, proposals, RFPs, and presentations with relevant experience and messaging.
• Prepare market, industry, client and competitive research to inform planning and positioning.
• Provide coaching to attorneys for client conversations, meetings, and relationship-building activities.
• Collaborate with communications, events, digital, creative and other departments to align thought leadership with business objectives.
• Maintain accurate opportunity and relationship data in the firm’s CRM and related systems.
• Develop pipeline monitoring, progress, and outcomes with concise reporting for leadership.

Skills

Relationship building

Strategic planning

Communication

Presentation skills

Team collaboration

Education

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

JD or MBA a plus

Tools

CRM systems

MS Office

Proposal management tools

Job description

Dinsmore is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager – Litigation to help attorneys and practice teams turn priorities into thoughtful, coordinated client-development activity. Working closely with firm leadership, attorneys, and colleagues across Marketing and Business Development, this manager will bring structure, insight and momentum to growth initiatives. The successful candidate will be a trusted adviser and hands-on project leader who is curious, asks practical questions, connects people and resources, and helps teams follow through on opportunities.

Preferred locations for this position are commutable to our Chicago, Cincinnati, or Lexington offices, but other office locations will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Partner with practice group and department leaders to develop practical business development strategy with firm priorities and client needs
• Help attorneys identify and prioritize opportunities within existing client relationships, prospective clients, referral networks, and target markets
• Facilitate planning discussions and convert ideas into clear next steps, owners, timelines, and measurable objectives
• Coordinate strategic pitches, proposals, RFP responses and presentations, bringing together relevant experience, differentiators, and persuasive messaging
• Prepare market, industry, client and competitive research to inform client planning, opportunity assessment, and positioning
• Provide one-on-one and small-group coaching to help attorneys prepare for client conversations, meetings, presentations, and relationship-building activities
• Collaborate with communications, events, digital, creative, and other internal departments to align thought leadership, sponsorships, and programs with defined business objectives
• Maintain accurate opportunity and relationship information in the firm’s CRM and related systems and encourage practical adoption of shared processes
• Collaborate to develop pipeline monitoring, progress and outcomes; develop concise reports and insights that help leaders make informed decisions and refine priorities
• Build strong relationships across offices and practices, identify opportunities for cross-selling, and connect attorneys whose capabilities can address broader client needs
• Manage multiple projects and stakeholders with sound judgment, responsiveness, attention to detail, and a commitment to excellent internal client service
• Contribute to the continued improvement of business development tools, templates, processes, and team best practices
• Perform other duties and support firmwide initiatives as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent relevant experience required; JD or MBA a plus
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible business development or marketing experience; experience in a law firm or other professional-services environment is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively with attorneys, firm leaders, and business professionals across offices and functions
• Working knowledge of business development planning, pitches and proposals, client and market research, and relationship-management practices
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, persuasive, and practical recommendations
• Sound judgment, discretion, initiative, and a client-service mindset, with the confidence to ask thoughtful questions and guide projects toward completion
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and familiarity with CRM, proposal-management, research, or related business development systems
• Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside regular business hours and travel as business needs require

Salary

• Up to 180k