Business Development roles for partnerships
Business development is one of the fastest developing functions within legal management, requiring individuals of exceptional poise and flexibility. It will continue to be a key focus for all law firms as they adapt to the new, competitive market and make moves to protect and enhance their client relationships and win new business. Now considered a senior consultative and management role - and increasingly, a client facing one - business development is a fast transitioning, dynamic role, ever more critical to firms’ commercial success as they develop strategically in the marketplace.
As a core part of specialist teams, business development professionals will work directly with fee-earning lawyers as core strategic advisors and enablers; interpreting their needs and priorities and providing the intelligence and focus points to deliver them. They must be intuitive and responsive individuals with meticulous attention to detail as well as a strategic perspective; able to adapt quickly to complex B2B environments and to work maturely with best-in-their-field professionals. As the effects of consolidation and emerging markets become a driving factor for many firms, business development professionals will play a critical role in entering new markets, maximising key customer relationships, and adapting to emerging industry trends. The most progressive firms are recognising the importance of this role to sustain, retain and grow their competitive hold on the market.
As the market continues to evolve in the coming months and years and firms will be forced to move from niche to full service, global, expertise, this department will continue to become more specialised and diverse. Some firms are already introducing specialist CRM focused BD roles; others will emerge to support firms in their evolution into broad-service expertise, and increasingly move into roles traditionally managed exclusively by partners.
At Totum, we know that there’s more to excellence than just ticking the boxes. In the legal sector more than any other, candidate placement is about match-making - matching the right expertise, personality and aspirations with the right role, in the right firm. We work closely with our candidates and our clients to ensure that when we recommend a role to you, it’s exactly right. No compromises.
