Business Development Executive

Title: Business Development Executive

Location: Leeds (Hybrid)

The Position

The Business Development Executive drives the firm’s growth by leading proactive BD initiatives across Intellectual Property services. This role coordinates practice groups and fee earners to win new clients, strengthen relationships, and uncover cross-selling opportunities. Requires strategic insight, operational efficiency, and strong interpersonal skills.

Key Deliverables:

• Client Development & Relationship Management: Implement client engagement plans, maintain accurate CRM data, support feedback programmes, and coordinate cross-border BD activities.
• Marketing & Campaign Support: Drive brand visibility through targeted campaigns and IP-focused content, support proposals and pitches, and ensure brand consistency.
• Market Research & Intelligence: Research IP trends, competitors, and emerging markets; prepare reports and monitor legislative developments.
• Event & Networking Coordination: Plan and deliver client events, webinars, and conferences, and manage post-event follow-up with ROI analysis.
• Data & Reporting: Track BD metrics, produce performance reports, analyse data, and manage IP Pilot reports and competitor analysis.

About You

You’re commercially aware and understand how your role contributes to the firm’s objectives. With strong planning and problem-solving skills, you can organise effectively and resolve issues to meet deadlines. You’re confident in analysing data accurately, managing projects, and supporting improvement initiatives. Compliance and attention to detail are second nature, and you apply technical expertise using specialist systems with ease. Ideally, you have 1+ years’ experience in BD or marketing within a law firm or professional services environment, and knowledge of the Intellectual Property sector is highly desirable but not essential.

About HGF:

HGF Limited is one of Europe’s largest intellectual property specialist firms offering a fully integrated IP solution, bringing over 200 Patent Attorneys, Trade Mark Attorneys and IP Solicitors together to provide a full-service IP solution.

With 25 offices across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Switzerland & Austria, HGF’s Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys provide specialist technical and legal advice to blue chip organisations and small to medium businesses across the world. Many of our clients are household names and the work HGF does allows them to protect and exploit their inventions, new products and branding.

Why move to HGF?

• HGF takes a transparent and merit-based approach to your career development and you will have the opportunity to shape your long-term progression.
• We’re a firm with a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion), with a staff led DEI Focus Group, affinity networks and a DEI Board sponsor
• As a business we have a dedicated Learning and Development team focused on career long development of your skills along with a digital learning platform covering a wide range of content
• Benefits including our award winning enhanced parental leave policy, 27 days holiday, bonus scheme and flexible working

HGF Values

People - People matter. We treat people fairly, with respect and compassion. We foster a friendly, inclusive and enjoyable culture for everyone to prosper in. We invest in our people and offer appropriate coaching and training to assist with development and learning. We promote a healthy work-life balance. Progression is based on merit.

Excellence – We strive to be the best. We pursue excellence in all our individual roles resulting in outstanding legal and technical advice for our clients. Our people are pragmatic, responsive and commercially minded. We do not presume but listen to understand so we can engage proactively and appropriately.

Teamwork – We stand together. We work with our clients to protect their interests, and with each other as a mutually supporting firm. We value, appreciate and listen to others, regardless of role, recognising each individual’s particular blend of talent, skill and experience. We are individually and jointly accountable and take responsibility for our actions and decisions.

Progressive – We innovate. We continually improve our services and processes through understanding, creativity, and investment. We evolve by taking opportunities and adopting new business procedures, unencumbered by historical structures or out-of-date attitudes. As a firm, we have an entrepreneurial spirit, and encourage new thinking in our people.