Senior BD Manager - IP Litigation

We are recruiting a Senior Business Development Manager to support our IP Litigation team. This role could be based out of either of our London or Paris offices.

Department purpose

Our Marketing, Business Development and Communications (MBD&C) team contributes to the setting and achievement of the firm's business objectives, which include supporting our partners and associates in their pursuit of becoming our clients' trusted advisers, building and maintaining long-lasting, deep institutional client relationships, winning new clients, increasing the visibility of the firm globally, and positioning the firm as the thought leader among the global elite law firms. The function works as one team across the globe with very close collaboration between the central groups and professionals supporting offices, practice groups, sectors, and clients.

This role sits in the business development (BD) team. The BD team is focused on practice group strategy, implementing practice group business plans, winning new clients, winning more work from existing clients, and profile raising.

Role purpose

We are looking for a Senior Business Development Manager to support the global IP Litigation group. This role is responsible for providing strategic support and direction to the group globally, working closely with other dedicated BD colleagues across our network to service the business development needs of the practice. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced business development professional to take a leading role in the management of a truly global practice with clear goals and growth priorities.

A&O Shearman's cross-border IP Litigation team supports the world's leading businesses to protect their products and market position through both offensive and defensive IP litigation, around the world. With over 100 IP litigation attorneys globally, the practice covers all of the major IP rights including patents, trademarks, copyright, designs and trade secrets. The successful candidate will play a leading role in helping the IP Litigation group to achieve its goals, providing guidance and perspectives that will help to shape and inform the global marketing strategy.

You will work closely with the global head of business development for disputes, the wider BD team, sector BD teams (in particular life sciences and technology), and the leadership of the IP Litigation practice to: ensure successful delivery of marketing and BD plans; deliver high quality work product across the full spectrum of marketing products (pitches, events, thought leadership, materials, communications, etc.); improve collaboration; and drive the client strategy. There is also line management responsibility for the London IP Litigation BD Manager.

Role and Responsibilities:

Strategic business planning and advice

• Work directly with the partners to define and drive a cohesive BD strategy with a focus on increasing collaboration, cross-selling (within disputes, as well as with corporate groups), and driving engagement with our priority clients and internal stakeholders at a global, regional and local level.
• Act as an internal consultant and coach to partners/other lawyers on the execution of their BD plans.
• Facilitate the integration and on-boarding of any partner lateral hires or partner promotions in the group.

Business development

• Use an understanding of IP litigation and knowledge of IP-rich industries, such as technology and life sciences, to identify new business development opportunities and formulate tactical plans to seize these opportunities.
• Lead on the delivery of a coordinated client targeting and cross-selling program for the IP Litigation group.
• Lead on multi-jurisdictional pitches and pitches of strategic importance for the global team.
• Build a network across the firm, with lawyers, marketing and other business teams, to ensure consistent communication and the sharing of ideas.
• Actively engage with the firm's key client program and sector groups and represent IP Litigation's interests.

Client relationship management

• Understand and help to manage the key client relationships within the group, including prospects and targets.
• Support partners in developing individual client relationships and facilitate regular client contact, through content, entertainment, events, etc.
• Develop and implement pitch and matter debriefs including interviewing clients to assess the quality or otherwise of their experience. Make recommendations to partners based on the findings from these meetings.

Client communications, events and marketing

• Own, co-ordinate, track, manage and promote key global or multi-jurisdictional campaigns and activities, including liaison with external providers (events, sponsorships, awards, etc.) to maximize ROI. This will include several large internal and external annual set pieces for which you will be responsible - drawing on the firm's wider resources.
• Assess marketing and BD activities undertaken by partners for likely ROI, and help the practice improve its financial performance through influencing decisions on where effort/budget is expended, together with driving post activity de-briefs.
• Analyze and advise on effective client hospitality (overseeing junior team members, the central events team and PAs on the execution).
• Oversee marketing processes (e.g. CVs, experience capture, contact list management, directories, website and reporting on successes) with more junior team members and departmental PAs.
• Work with the media relations team to maintain effective press coverage on cases and key developments.
• Review and manage group marketing material and coordinate updates/drafting as needed.

Market knowledge and training

• Work with knowledge and research teams to keep up to date with trends affecting our products and clients.
• Provide a structured and tailored program of training on business development skills to associates within the group.
• Coach and mentor BD team members aligned to the IP Litigation practice group globally.

Key requirements:

• Strong leadership skills. The ability to motivate, develop and inspire both the BD team and attorneys to deliver business goals and change behavior where required.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral. Can persuade and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong client focus and commercial knowledge.
• Proactivity.
• Highly organized.
• A dedication to excellence, and the ability to foster that in others. High attention to detail.
• Can intuit and challenge, questioning the rationale behind existing concepts, plans and ideas and providing solutions/alternative approaches.
• Can build relationships across teams and at all levels of seniority.
• Significant relevant business development, marketing and/or CRM experience (ideally within a professional services organization, but we are open to other sectors) at Manager or Senior Manager level.
• Enthusiasm to develop an in-depth understanding of the global IP litigation market and IP-rich industries. Previous IP litigation, life sciences or tech market experience would be desirable.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and developing the careers of more junior team members.
• Politically astute - can make tough decisions and follow through, can anticipate future areas of risk for the practice and takes appropriate action to address these. Understands the complexities of the partnership structure and can navigate them to achieve objectives.
• Ability to plan ahead, anticipate workload of the team and manage your and others' time efficiently; can assess and balance conflicting priorities and does not over‐commit themselves or the team - always manages expectations.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.