M&A Practice Business Development Associate Director

About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a preeminent, full-service law firm with offices around the world and a staff as diverse as the practice areas we support. Our clients range from Fortune 100 companies to medium and small corporations, financial institutions, and private equity firms.  Known for our commitment to excellence, Kirkland strives to provide superior service to our clients as well as our fellow employees. From Information Technology to Human Resources, Paralegal Services to Business Development, Kirkland offers non-attorney professionals challenging careers in a variety of functional areas. Whether starting or growing your career, Kirkland can offer a performance-driven culture filled with bright and innovative teams of co-workers.

Essential Job Functions

Kirkland’s Business Development department comprises more than 100 diverse problem-solvers and advisers dedicated to Kirkland’s overall business development, marketing and communications function. Our international team provides seamless service to some of the brightest minds in the legal industry, with an emphasis on quality, innovation and responsiveness.

We are recruiting a seasoned, results-oriented Business Development Associate Director who will develop and work collaboratively on strategic practice planning for the public M&A practice group to help drive new business objectives. This is a highly visible role and the candidate will be the primary point of contact for strategic and tactical initiatives.

He/she will manage a dedicated team of pitch professionals and be responsible for drafting, maintaining and refining marketing materials and pitch execution; conducting market and deal research; tracking industry/client trends; identifying speaking opportunities; and collaborating on bespoke practice-specific initiatives/projects and general practice support, including client events and seminars.

• Collaborate with the Firmwide Transactional Development Directors and other team members on the development and execution of meaningful strategic corporate business development and marketing initiatives;
• Manage a small team in the execution of the Firm’s pitch production process from the point of opportunity through to completion, including drafting key sections to tailor proposals/pitches to specific prospects/industries/sectors;
• Work with the partnership to develop clear, concise and compelling marketing material for use in proposals and formal RFP responses, survey and directory submissions and website information; attorney biographies, practice descriptions and experience lists;
• Manage and review market, industry and client research for business development initiatives and pitch preparation;
• Proactively provide tracking and reporting analysis on the BD efforts of the region, along with re-alignment where needed;
• Research and develop on-point visibility opportunities, such as industry seminars and speaking opportunities, sponsorship opportunities and targeted events, to increase an individual or group’s profile; and
• Work with all functions of the greater Business Development & Marketing team, including PR/Communications, Business Intelligence, CRM, Branding & Creative, Website, etc.

Qualifications & Requirements

We seek a candidate with a J.D. or M.B.A. who is well-versed and experienced with public company and private equity M&A transactions, including financing. The candidate will be able to distinguish among various types of transactions as well as have the ability to distill complex deal information into a succinct, digestible format. 

He/she will have a solid command of different software applications to produce a high-end, professional work product, including the Microsoft Office Suite (proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel are required) and experience with various market intelligence platforms, including, but not limited to, Bloomberg, Capital IQ, ThomsonOne, Pitchbook, Refinitiv, Preqin, Manzama, The Deal Pipeline, and Corporate Affiliations.

Education, Work Experience, Skills

• A J.D. or M.B.A. is preferred;

• A minimum of five years of business development/marketing experience with M&A, private equity, investment banking, corporate finance or similar experience preferred;

• Exceptional communication skills, including an innate ability to communicate to the stakeholders on overall efforts, progress and results;
• Very strong project management abilities to lead and control large, complex pitches, proposals and RFPs;
• Strong background in business intelligence, target research and client prospecting;
• Able to easily and quickly develop rapport and build relationships while displaying key influencing skills; and
• Must have executive presence, diplomacy, and political and business savvy.

Technologies/Software

Microsoft Office Suite, including SharePoint. Proficiency with PowerPoint and Excel is required.

Various market intelligence platforms, including, but not limited to, Bloomberg, Capital IQ, ThomsonOne, Pitchbook, Refinitiv, Preqin, Manzama, The Deal Pipeline, and Corporate Affiliations is required.

CRM (e.g., InterAction, Salesforce) and experience management (ContentPilot) familiarity is a plus.

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

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