Job Description

At Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why many are incredibly longstanding. And we enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 100 years.



We are where you need us to be. We are in the world's largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. Our international footprint is extensive and committed.




We are at our best tackling complexity and navigating change. We work alongside you on demanding contentious matters, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.




We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, ESG, infrastructure and resources. And we're focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world, including technology and digitalisation.



All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition - which is to help you achieve yours.



Your goals. Our ambition.

The Opportunity

Key internal relationships:

Corporate Practice, London London Corporate Business Development Team Global Business Development Team Brand, Marketing and Design Team Professional Support Lawyers

Key external relationships:

Various external suppliers (for example conference providers) Media and publishing outlets, journalists Various bodies, institutions and consultants

Key responsibilities:

This is an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the fee earners in our Corporate division. The role will predominately support the UK-based Corporate division, with a focus on Private Equity, Venture Capital and M&A, but also supporting the broader practice. The Corporate practice is a leading area of the firm, with strong and recognised expertise in public and private mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, private equity, funds, insurance, TMT, energy and infrastructure and corporate advisory. The Corporate BD team is fully integrated in the Corporate business.. You will need to develop strong relationships with the partners, legal professionals and business services teams in the Corporate practice, particularly in the PE, VC and M&A practices; and build a deep understanding of what these practices do and deliver on the BD objectives in the business plan. You should work closely with the sector teams to enhance opportunities for the corporate practices and help to grow key client relationships and support the partners to identify and co-ordinate cross-selling opportunities into within the practice. A key part of the role is supporting our fee earners on pitches and profile-raising initiatives.


Business development planning

Working closely with Partners on the development and execution of business plans and related BD initiatives. Work with the team to develop and drive new initiatives that align to our business plans.

Pitch support

Take responsibility for the project management and drafting of pitches, liaising with partners and associates as well as the wider BD team. Work closely with other BD teams to provide relevant information, credentials, CVs etc. for panel pitches and significant pitches led by other practice groups. Develop new and efficient ways to improve the pitching process, including pitch qualification and greater integration into existing and new technologies. Pro-actively work with the pricing team and partners and associates to develop innovative pricing proposals Provide advice on best practice around pitching, including proposition development, messaging and presentation skills. Work with BD colleagues, associates and partners to prepare material that present the strengths of our practice such as brochures, pitches and client presentations. Keep corporate/M&A pitch templates up-to-date. Participate in/assist with the rehearsal of the pitch team Manage relevant communications including the debrief process internally and externally Ensure pitches are logged appropriately and outcomes are sought out with the relevant feedback.


Profile raising

Work with fee earners and the Corporate BD team to identify best strategies for engaging with our target clients via meetings, conferences, events, podcasts, webinars etc. Drive the creation and implementation of profile-raising campaigns, working collaboratively with our campaigns, website and communication teams. Ensure that any client content is shared through the most effective channels, both internally and externally. Project manage the development of marketing collateral with design and production team, including collateral relevant to target markets Provide guidance and marketing/ BD execution on new product launches Liaise with the PR /communications team on all media and PR opportunities for practice Liaise with fee earners, PSLs and knowledge management on articles for external publications and on content for client materials

Clients and sectors

Engage in and encourage active support of the firm's Client Listening Programme, conducting matter debriefs, secondments and pitch debriefs, continually looking for ways to improve the client experience Work with Corporate team and the broader Client and Sector BD team to align BD activity to the firm's client and sector strategy. Directory submissions Lead and manage the directory submissions process for Corporate (particularly Private Equity and Venture Capital), drafting the submissions and working with fee earners and the broader BD team and other teams, as required. Project manage the process to ensure that we maximise our rankings and liaise with the Chambers/Legal 500 researchers, including connecting with researchers to set-up interviews and check deadlines and updating partners when to follow-up with their referees. Review of existing submissions processes, ensuring that focus is placed on the right areas and individuals. Event support (for headline events only) Lead a small number of headline events that are aligned to key business objectives, ensure they are properly targeted, executed and followed-up. Project manage these events in conjunction with a dedicated PE and our events team, where required.

Information management

Proactively maintain the firm's credential system "Foundation" for Corporate matters and carry out tasks required of the Corporate "Profile Manager" role. Play a critical role in empowering Corporate fee earners to effectively engage with Foundation. Support the updates of the Corporate section of the website and internal Corporate intranet site. Lead the PE, VC and M&A league table submission process for the London Corporate practices. Prepare and circulate a monthly public M&A report to corporate fee earners and BD. Ensure key Corporate credential lists and key corporate documents and capability statements are kept up-to-date. Maintain list of awards and accolades across the division.


Budget management

Facilitate budgeting for all specific activities for the PE and VC practices and ensure suggested BD activities reflect best return on investment for the practice Monitor and track activity to ensure budgets are not exceeded. Analyse outcomes against costs and recommend changes as appropriate.


Other general responsibilities

Lead on the content for the production and development of internal and external newsletters and bulletins as necessary e.g. Managing Partner Reports. Contribute ideas to improving processes and systems within the team and take responsibility for such projects Where required, provide support on large-scale, firm wide projects (e.g. pitch automation). Give general support, as requested, in relation to BD and marketing activities. Deal with ad-hoc queries from fee earners and other BD teams.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

Three to five years business development experience in a corporate or professional services firm, ideally with exposure to the corporate market, but not imperative. We will consider candidates with less or more experience providing they meet the required competencies. Degree educated or similar level of work experience. A background or experience of working in a partnership is strongly preferable. Demonstrated experience in building strategic relationships and pursuing new business. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Able to confidently get message across to senior audiences, presents with clarity, energy, confidence and enthusiasm. Able to make decisions to ensure the practice's objectives are met and is able to develops new and approaches without guidance from others.

Team

Business Development

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

London

Contract type

Fixed Term Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values--Human, Bold, and Outstanding.