Practice Development Assistant

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move forward. We share core values that help us achieve excellence: collaboration, talent empowerment, service, inclusion, respect and gratitude. Our people are our greatest asset, and we invest in the brightest talent and encourage a diversity of perspectives and strengths to create dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their field. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.
 
As one of the world’s leading law firms, we serve a broad range of clients with market-leading practices in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions; investment fund formation and alternative asset management; restructurings; high-stakes commercial and intellectual property litigation; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. We handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them. We bring innovation and entrepreneurialism to every engagement and, as a result, have long-standing client relationships with leading global corporations and financial sponsors. With 6,500 employees (including 3,500 lawyers) operating from 20 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we are one of the largest law firms in the world and a top financial performer.

Essential Job Functions

Kirkland & Ellis is seeking an assistant to support the marketing and business development efforts of the Firm’s Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations (GR&II) practice, and the broader Litigation practice, as part of the Business Development (BD) Department in our Chicago office.

We are looking for a self-starter and critical thinker with good judgment, excellent communication and analytical skills and history of taking initiative. You will possess excellent organizational and project management skills, outstanding editing and proofing skills, the ability to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced environment, strong attention to detail and a professional and polished demeanor. You will possess a willingness and desire to learn new things, including quickly developing a general understanding of the practice groups you support.

In this role, you will help provide attorneys with support across all areas of marketing and business development, including pitches and proposals, event planning, contact relationship management, branding, business/relationship intelligence and internal communications. Specific responsibilities include new business pitch preparation, marketing collateral development and maintenance, experience database data entry/management, assisting with events, general research and award submissions and directory nominations. You will also be responsible for administrative tasks associated with the business development function such as processing check requests, arranging for meeting rooms, and related administrative tasks.

We operate from a team-first position and value honesty, diligence and open communication. Success in this role will depend upon your ability to collaborate effectively with team members, develop familiarity with the Firm’s various resources and systems, anticipate questions and potential issues and consistently “go the extra mile” without being asked. You will be expected to establish yourself as a trusted, responsive resource to your BD colleagues and our attorneys.

You will report to the Business Development Director in Chicago for this area and work closely with additional team members. You will also communicate and collaborate daily with approximately 170 diverse problem-solvers and advisers dedicated to the broader business development, marketing and communications efforts of the Firm. Our international business development team provides seamless service to our attorneys with a focus on quality, innovation and responsiveness.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.)

• Assist in the overall implementation of development plans and initiatives for the Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations practice, including maintaining systems to track initiatives.
• Assist in the production of bespoke, client-facing pitch materials, presentations and responses to RFPs – including compiling, proofreading, formatting and editing. Maintain systems used to track client pitches and presentations.
• Maintenance of accurate, updated marketing collateral including practice descriptions, brochures, PowerPoint templates and attorney biographies.
• Assist with planning, execution and tracking of events, including seminars, receptions, industry conferences, charitable sponsorships, speaking engagements, client entertainment and other events.
• Provide support for business development research and intelligence reports on clients, potential clients, competitors and target industries.
• Coordinate with attorneys on biography updates and update attorney pitch and website bios accordingly.
• Maintenance and updating content in our Firmwide experience database, including research, collection and data entry.
• Assist with survey responses, award nominations and directory submissions.
• Update data in the Firm’s marketing contact relationship management (CRM) database, including the review and creation of mailing lists.
• Assist with various other initiatives that intersect with other functional areas within BD.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills

Required

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively and professionally convey information to attorneys, clients, staff and guests of the Firm.
• Ability to take initiative, adapt to change and work independently in high-pressure, deadline-driven scenarios while exercising sound judgment and making intelligent, informed decisions.
• Excellent client service orientation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish rapport and maintain effective relationships with various levels of personnel, internally and externally, including existing and potential clients.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to prioritize and execute a diverse range of tasks with a high level of attention to detail.
• Ability to handle ambiguity, weigh options and find ways to move initiatives forward to meet critical deadlines and produce results.
• Collaborative approach to working within a team, including the ability to take direction and implement feedback.
• Meticulous data entry, writing and proofing skills and a general facility for learning new software.
• Solid command of MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint)
• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred

• At least one year of experience at a law firm and/or financial/professional services firm  

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This job operates in a professional office environment. 
• Overtime work may be needed.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Closing Statement

The www.kirkland.com job postings and recruiting mailbox are for candidates only. If you are a recruiter, search firm or employment agency, and do not have a signed contract with Kirkland & Ellis LLP ("K&E") and have not been asked specifically to submit candidates, you will not be compensated in any way for your referral of a candidate even if K&E hires the candidate. Direct contact with K&E employees in an attempt to present candidates is inappropriate and will be a factor in determining any future professional relationship with the Firm.