Business Development & Marketing 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 & Ellis is one of the world’s leading law firms recognized as a market leader across M&A, commercial litigation, Intellectual Property and restructuring, with approximately 3,000 lawyers practicing from 18 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. We are seeking an Associate Director of Business Development and Marketing to drive strategy and provide hands on day-to-day support for Kirkland’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices.

Kirkland & Ellis is looking for a sophisticated business development professional to drive the business development and marketing strategy for Kirkland’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. The Business Development Associate Director is a member of Kirkland’s firm-wide business development and marketing department and is responsible for a full range of business development and marketing activities for Kirkland’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. 

The Associate Director of Business Development (Bay Area) is part of a growing West Coast Business Development team that includes business development professionals in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and is part of a larger 140-person international business development team. 

In this position, you will work closely with the Bay Area partners to drive strategic business development and marketing initiatives to strengthen relationships with key firm clients as well as to create targeted initiatives to attract new clients.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, self-motivated innovative leader who is an effective communicator with with strong business acumen and the ability to execute multiple projects and priorities simultaneously. A market leader in M&A handling more transactions than any other law firm since 2017, the successful candidates will have deep corporate M&A and related experience in the legal, financial services (private equity, investment banking, etc.) or professional service industry.

Essential Job Functions

• Respond to new business pitches and RFPs;
• Create substantive business development-related presentations;
• Identify key industry sponsorships and speaking engagements;
• Conduct research and analysis on new clients/markets/industries;
• Respond to surveys, directories and award submissions;
• Develop and maintain annual Bay Area business development budget and track ROI for all initiatives;
• Develop and maintain marketing collateral; and
• Track matters including outcomes.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred;
• Strong understanding of the San Francisco Bay Area market and the market dynamics of the Americas
• Comprehensive understanding of corporate practices with an emphasis on the private equity industry is required;
• Understanding of commercial and IP litigation considered a plus;
• Twelve (12) years related experience, five (5) of which must have been in a manager or senior manager role in a law firm environment;
• Experience developing and managing junior business development staff required;
• Ability to analyze data and use multiple sources of information to develop solutions and recommendations;
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment, a very strong attention to detail and a professional demeanor;
• Ability to manage a diverse range of assignments and projects, prioritize multiple tasks and delegate work appropriately;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as strong presentation skills;
• Excellent client service orientation and comfortable interacting with firm leadership and other senior administrative personnel;
• Willingness to travel to as needed to support the lawyers and manage staff;
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading and presentation skills required; and
• Track record of creating persuasive content across a variety of mediums.

Technologies/Software

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite with a particular emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint;
• Experience with CRM platforms, with a preference for InterAction and eMarketing tools;
• Strong knowledge of industry databases including Capital IQ, PitchBook, Preqin, LexMachina and MonitorSuite required.

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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