Corporate Business Development Manager

Honigman is a premier business law firm, based in Michigan with an international practice. Recently recognized in Michigan as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Places to Work, we earned this recognition by recruiting attorneys and staff members with outstanding credentials. Currently, we are looking for an experienced Business Development Manager - Corporate in our Detroit Office.

The Business Development Manager (BDM), Corporate will support all business development efforts of assigned practice groups within the Corporate Department and ensure that individual practice group objectives are achieved. The BDM will support the development and execution of practice group business plans, including identification and pursuit of client prospects, expanding relations with existing clients, contributing to practice cross-selling efforts and elevating the public profile of their assigned practice groups and attorneys.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a trusted advisor and as primary point of contact for assigned PGLs and teams for initiating, directing, and providing business development and marketing support, strategic guidance and proactive recommendations for the development, implementation, and management of business development and marketing plans, development of collateral and marketing content, communications, and client and industry programs.
• Work closely with lead partners, other lawyers and business support colleagues to:
• Formulate and execute business development and marketing efforts designed to generate new business and improve market visibility for the Corporate Department efforts.
• Maintain a knowledge of legal market and competitive trends relative to business development efforts.
• Conduct market research, analyze trends, and identify opportunities with target clients.
• Provide attorneys with information on target industry sectors, developments with existing clients, client prospects, competitive positions and market trends.
• Identify and target new clients, including performing due diligence on means to effectively pursue identified opportunities
• Collaborate with Department personnel, Department Leaders, PGLS and partners in developing and executing plans for cross-selling, client retention, and other business development or marketing-related education programs.
• Manage and drive the development and implementation of business plans in collaboration with PGLs and other business support colleagues:
• Build a strong working knowledge of adjacent practice and industry sectors to the business units that you support, and facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration pertaining to business development and marketing strategies, priorities and clients.
• Maintain essential information on client matters through the development and maintenance of experience and deal information repositories and other significant representations; proactively market and promote notable matters. Collaborate with communications team to promote matters publicly, when appropriate.
• Lead BD activities and participate in practice group and departmental meetings, including those pertaining to the development and execution of business plans and other prioritized areas of focus.
• Drive pitching and new business generation:
• Manage and execute large pitches, proposals and RFPs, including performing analysis, leading a team in developing effective proposal content, and in identifying ways to differentiate the firm from the competition. Execute post pitch analysis to contribute to the formulation of firm best practices and to advance performance.
• Prepare and produce client presentations with content tailored to highlight the firm’s unique service offerings and relevant compelling differentiators. Track results with prompt follow-up, measurement and communication of outcomes.
• Work with business services teams to develop prudent fee arrangements.
• Maintain up-to-date pitch content, materials and client information.
• Act as trusted advisor to attorney teams to scope, prepare for in-person meetings and pitches, and provide post pitch client and target feedback.
• Provide strategic coaching to individual lawyers and “pitch teams” to increase effectiveness of business development and marketing approaches.
• Manage overall legal ranking process for designated practice groups. Prepare compelling league tables, legal directories and awards submissions.
• Serve as central resource for attorneys and practices in analyzing opportunities for professional recognitions, gathering the appropriate information for the legal ranking submissions to trade publications and databases (e.g., Chambers USA, Pitchbook and Merger Market) and follow through on execution and associated communications.
• Work with the marketing team and other business support colleagues to:
• Identify opportunities to create and implement integrated branding and profile-raising content and campaigns.
• Collaborate with the communications team on the development and implementation of public relations and internal/external communications strategies and tactics aligned with attorney business plans.
• Analyze market opportunities and manage thought leadership initiatives, including but not limited to social media, white papers, newsletters, and client alerts. Work with attorneys to develop ideas, to draft and edit communications to clients and targets (e.g. newsletters, alerts, event invitations, brochures, articles), and help guide the production of these materials.
• Assess market conference and other networking opportunities, and assist attorney in developing and implementing associated plans.
• Manage and develop other members of the business development and marketing team.
• Support the development and program adoption of attorney-facing BD training.
• Communicate BD best practices, actions, and key successes and goals across the Department.
• Track and provide metrics and analytics related to the Corporate Department business development activities to Department Chair and PGLS. Also, support any necessary budget tracking and/or return-on-investment analysis.
• Ensure the accuracy, substance of content, and timeliness of relevant marketing materials, including but not limited to website content, collateral materials and attorney profiles for your assigned attorneys and groups.
• Support the development, implementation and follow-up activities surrounding client plans and client meetings.
• Contribute to the development and management of information repositories pertaining to experience and/or client management (e.g., Client Relationship Management (“CRM”) and Experience Management (“EM”)
• Participate in marketing or business development professional association and networking programs.
• Create and maintain internal reports that are relevant in managing and measuring the performance of the PG with respect to its BD and marketing investments and plans.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with other Honigman business services teams including but not limited to Information Systems, Finance, Human Resources and Attorney Development and Recruitment, Practice Innovation, and Practice Operations, and appropriate external resources, particularly the public relations firm.
• Provide support on larger team initiatives, including high-level firm presentations.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing (or related discipline), J.D. or MBA preferred.
• Minimum of five years of relevant industry experience in marketing or business development supporting transactional practices in a law firm or other professional services firm preferred.
• Understanding of corporate law – private equity, M&A, capital markets, financing.
• Knowledge of industry trends and a keen understanding of market dynamics.
• Mastery of business development competencies.
• Strong strategic and critical thinking skills, and proven experience driving results as a business advisor and partner.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Must be persuasive and demonstrate active listening skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to lead, set priorities and deliver results.
• Must have a strong client service orientation.
• Ability to effectively work within our environment and engage the departments, practice groups and individual attorneys to increase the value delivered to clients and the firm.
• Knowledge of business planning and targeting programs at the department, practice group and individual partner level.
• Must be a problem solver, willing to work and think energetically and independently and to accept responsibility for producing work that is consistently complete, timely, effective and accurate.
• Strong professional presence and ability to work with individuals at all levels of the firm.
• Must demonstrate adaptability and flexibility to new ideas and to new approaches.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with appropriate level of discretion.
• Experience with marketing information systems and use of technology driven communication experience. Social media experience is highly desirable.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and InterAction CRM. Must have strong overall technology skills and demonstrate a willingness to learn new applications as they become commercially available.
• Experience with some or all of the following systems is preferred: Foundation, Salesforce and Sharepoint. Experience with databases such as Pitchbook, Mergermarket, Refinitiv, CapitalIQ, and Preqin a plus.

Honigman is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other category prohibited by applicable local, state or federal law.