Business Development Specialist

With ten offices across the United States, 450+ professionals and 350+ business professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (www.manatt.com), is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the firm to provide a distinct and compelling value proposition.

The Opportunity

As a key member of Manatt’s dynamic business development team, your primary responsibilities will be to provide strategic business development advice, facilitate business development and cross-selling opportunities, enhance existing and new relationships, and raise the profile of key practices and professionals.

If you’re a total professional with a stellar track record, you relish a good challenge and you thrive on collaboration with like-minded peers, this is an ideal time to join our dynamic and growing business development team. We are looking for a team player who will work closely and collaboratively to make a difference from day one. The Business Development Specialist works with business unit and group leaders to develop and build client relationships, expand business penetration, and launch new products and services to drive revenues and achieve financial growth.

At Manatt, we need the kind of professional staff member who can help us meet the high expectations of sophisticated clients. We’ll want you to take initiative, seize opportunities and develop innovative solutions to solve problems. You’ll find our culture to be diverse and community-minded. If all that works for you, we could be a great fit for each other.

This position will report to a Business Development Manager or Senior Manager who will assist the Specialist in their role.

The candidate can be located in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, New York, or Washington, D.C., and has responsibility for the following:

Business Development

• Evaluate RFP and proposal opportunities and provide business development managers with go/no-go recommendations. Develop tailored client proposals and RFP responses, including strategizing on the opportunity with the attorneys involved; identifying practices, professionals and experience to include in the materials; writing and editing copy; and managing proofreading, production and distribution.
• Identify and lead follow-on activities with the professionals to land the business.
• Identify new opportunities and develop strategic plans to position and raise the profile of the practices and partners.
• In coordination with the attorneys, identify topics for thought leadership that reflect leading trends in the market, advise on potential co-presenters and co-writers, develop the content, and work with the marketing team on production. Following the release, work with the attorneys involved to identify potential business opportunities and develop a plan for and lead follow-on actions.
• Write compelling Chambers and Legal 500 submissions.
• Write and keep current representative experience descriptions and capability statements to support proposals and pitches, awards and rankings submissions, and collateral materials, all while accentuating Manatt’s unique value proposition. Ensure client permissions to use names, logos and matter descriptions are accurately captured.
• Conduct analysis of competitors and their service offerings and prepare background dossiers on clients and targets.
• Analyze and track business results, wins, losses, best practices, ROI and lessons learned and prepare and distribute pipeline and win-loss reports.
• Identify, research and evaluate the business case for speaking, sponsorship and membership affiliation opportunities and provide management with go/no-go recommendations as well as business cases.
• In collaboration with Business Development Manager (Senior Manager), create materials for new lateral hires, including welcome presentations and client communications, and assist in implementing integration initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with the business development and marketing professionals and contribute to the team’s cross-platform efforts, including supporting projects and initiatives across practice areas.
• Develop project plans to ensure initiatives are implemented on time and within budget.
• Ensure business development and marketing expenses comply with firm expense policies and procedures.

Specific Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years’ experience in a professional services or law firm.
• Exceptional communication skills, including strong writing, editorial and proofreading skills and strong analytical skills. Exceptional attention to detail is required.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the consistent ability to meet deadlines.
• Extraordinary client service skills, strong influencing and negotiating skills, and an ability to persuade others to deliver.
• Technologically savvy with demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Proven ability to self-manage and multitask in a “lightning speed” environment with shifting priorities.