UK Job Description
This role will support Reed Smith’s Europe and Middle East Corporate practice, including Corporate M&A, Private Equity, Emerging Growth/Venture Capital, Equity Capital Markets, Tax and Funds business development initiatives, working closely with the global Corporate BD team on the business development tactics for the practice. Working within the larger Corporate Department, this role will liaise across other practice groups and task forces with a primary focus on enhancing the firm’s profile, strengthening relationships with key clients, and creating opportunities for collaboration across groups. While primarily a UK and EME focussed position, the successful candidate will work with peers, both BD and lawyers, worldwide.
The Business Development Executive will play an essential part in pulling together Reed Smith’s wide ranging capabilities, providing practical and tactical support to drive revenue through a full spectrum of marketing and BD efforts. Together with the BD Managers, the successful candidate will be able to work in a fast-paced atmosphere, managing multiple tasks and requests from numerous stakeholders, and possess a keen ability to prioritize. This individual will carry through with project planning and ROI measurement, staying close to market trends and maintaining an awareness of competitors.
This role would suit candidates who are able to manage multiple deadlines, is highly detail orientated and will enjoy building relationships with partners and other lawyers, as well as working as part of a large global BD and Marketing team
The Firm
Reed Smith is a global law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 30 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
Operating as one global partnership, we represent leading international businesses from FTSE 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises; advising clients on cross border transactions, international commercial disputes and regulation. We specialise in industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, shipping and real estate.
We all share a common culture, with core values supporting the firm’s commitment to add value, achieve excellence, and promote professional development. London is our largest office with approximately 700 people, including over 350 fee earners across the full range of commercial practice areas. Consistent with the firm’s strategy, the office has grown significantly over the past five years. Key to this growth has been our ability to successfully integrate new hires into our business and give them a platform to flourish. We place a huge significance on listening to our people and incorporating their ideas wherever possible.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
New Business
- Support the Business Development Managers in various projects as they relate to business development efforts associated with the Corporate practice group.
- Work with others, coordinating pitch materials, presentations and responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs); facilitate presentation preparation by assisting with creating and editing materials.
- Work closely with U.S., EME and Asia counterparts to ensure a comprehensive offering to our clients.
Planning, Research and Analysis
- Implement activities arising from targeting and business plans and regular monitoring of achievement against these plans
- Assist with developing group meeting agendas and presentations, and prepare and circulate meeting summaries.
- Collate information on clients and help our attorneys focus on opportunities at partner conferences, speaker events and/or business trips/client meetings.
General Business Development
- Coordinate contributions and input related to attorney experience and client information into business development systems including CRM and Foundation.
- Edit marketing collateral, including practice area descriptions and attorney biographies for print, website and intranet; facilitate posting updates to firm website and intranet as required.
- Assist and guide attorneys with ideas and planning for publication and campaign development.
- Work closely with attorneys to draft, edit and coordinate posts for blogs and LinkedIn pages; coordinate client alerts and podcasts.
- Manage and maintain the collection of information for, and production of, internal marketing materials including monthly newsletters, mailing lists, internal blogs, and capabilities documents.
- Coordinate events such as Reed Smith-hosted client seminars, webinars and event sponsorships.
- Work as appropriate with the firm’s retained external legal directories consultant on legal directory submissions.
- Work from time to time with the global PR teams on PR initiatives and profile raising.
- Assist attorneys with their own professional profiling/BD efforts, i.e. assist with LinkedIn profiles, events and networking, bio creation/editing
Key Skills, Attributes and Experience
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Technologically savvy and able to quickly learn new database systems.
- Extremely detail oriented, proactive and self-directed with ability to independently manage and appropriately prioritize multiple projects and competing priorities under tight deadlines, sometimes with minimal oversight.
- Able to demonstrate sound professional judgment and a high degree of poise and professionalism when interacting with internal and external contacts.
- Comfortable establishing effective firmwide working relationships with individuals at all levels.
- Possess, and be willing to continue to develop, strong organizational, project management and problem-solving skills.
- Able to work independently as well as part of a team, and be flexible in approach.
- Enthusiasm for learning. It is important that the individual is keen to develop their knowledge of the legal sector and can quickly grasp complex subject matter and technical terms.
- An eagerness to learn about individual partner practices and client bases, and the confidence to ask questions.
- Ability to work collaboratively with people at all levels, including BD colleagues, partners and clients throughout different geographies and time zones. A team player with excellent people skills.
- Sensitive to cultural differences and issues
At Reed Smith, we welcome direct applications either in response to one of our advertised vacancies or on a speculative basis. Please click on the “Apply Now” button to submit your details and we will be in touch.
No search firms/agencies please.
Reed Smith's success depends heavily on the effective utilization of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran's status, or any characteristic protected by law. As a firm, we adhere to and promote equal employment opportunity for all.
We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you have a disability or a long-term health condition and require adjustments to be made for you within the recruitment process, please contact a member of the Recruitment team. For more information on our approach to diversity and inclusion please visit our website .