Become part of the Parker Poe team that - for more than a century - has represented many of the Southeast's largest companies and local governments. We are a tight-knit firm that values the person beyond the lawyer or professional. Because of this, in addition to structured integration efforts, you will find that mentorship, professional development, and internal referrals happen organically. If you want to join a collaborative team providing sophisticated legal services - without losing sight of our calling to give back to our communities - this is the place to be.
Department: Marketing and Business Development
FLSA: Exempt
Direct Reports: No
Supervised By: Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer
SummaryThe Business Development Manager for the Business Litigation Department executes business development plans and initiatives designed to grow revenue, expand the client base, and enhance the profile of the Firm's litigation attorneys. This exempt position reports directly to the Firm's Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer and will serve on a highly functioning and successful business development team.
The Business Development Manager will work closely with litigation practice leaders, attorneys, and colleagues in business development and marketing to identify opportunities, position the Firm's litigators in competitive pursuits, and drive client engagement. This role requires superior knowledge of client development, client service, and client retention practices in the legal services sector, particularly in the highly competitive litigation space. The successful candidate will possess excellent analytical, written, and oral communication, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to anticipate needs and manage projects from concept to delivery.
Parker Poe is a team-oriented environment, and the Business Development Manager will collaborate across practice groups, industry teams, and administrative departments to support and model Parker Poe's award-winning client service program.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities- Litigation Business Development Strategy
- Partner with the Business Litigation Practice Group Leaders to design, implement, and track the group's business development plans.
- Identify litigation market trends, client pain points, and emerging risks to proactively develop targeted strategies for client acquisition and retention.
- Support attorneys in positioning the Firm as a go-to litigation resource across industries including business disputes, financial services, governmental entities, regulatory matters, and appellate advocacy.
- Pitching, Proposals, and RFPs
- Lead the preparation of tailored litigation-focused opportunities highlighting the Firm's trial experience, case outcomes, and client successes.
- Maintain and update experience databases with case results, representative matters, and trial wins to support pitches and rankings.
- Client Development and Retention
- Work with litigators to build and execute individual business development plans.
- Identify opportunities for cross-selling litigation services to the Firm's existing clients.
- Partner with attorneys to develop strategies for strengthening relationships with general counsel, in-house litigation teams, and risk officers.
- Track client feedback and matter outcomes to inform future business development strategy.
- Profile-Raising and Thought Leadership
- Collaborate with Marketing Communications to promote litigation thought leadership, including client alerts, blogs, and CLE programs.
- Pursue speaking opportunities, sponsorships, and media placements that position litigation attorneys as leaders in their practice areas.
- Manage submissions for litigation-related awards, rankings (e.g., Chambers, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers), and directories.
- Events and Sponsorships
- Oversee litigation-focused client events, roundtables, and sponsorships to build relationships with in-house counsel and industry leaders.
- Represent the Firm at litigation-focused bar associations, conferences, and community events.
- Market and Competitive Intelligence
- Monitor competitor positioning in the litigation market and provide attorneys with insights to strengthen client proposals.
- Analyze litigation trends, including regulatory developments and case law shifts, to identify business development opportunities.
- Budget and ROI Tracking
- Develop and manage litigation practice business development budgets.
- Track the ROI of litigation marketing initiatives, sponsorships, and events to inform strategic investment.
Requirements- Five or more years of experience in marketing or business development in a law firm or other professional services organization and a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or related field (MBA preferred but not required).
- Litigation practice group experience strongly preferred.
- High degree of attention to detail, accuracy, confidentiality, and consistency.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong project management skills with ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional interpersonal and client service skills, with proven ability to work with attorneys at all levels.
- Highly self-motivated, resourceful, and able to anticipate needs and exercise sound judgment.
- Demonstrated ability to influence, coach, and support attorneys in business development efforts.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word) and CRM software.
- Availability to travel to other offices and litigation-related events as needed, including outside normal business hours.
Parker Poe is an Equal Opportunity Employer and makes recruitment, employment, promotional and all other personnel decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
