Ranked a Best Employer in Canada for 23 years, Bennett Jones is one of Canada’s premier business law firms and home to 500 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and New York, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world. Serving clients since 1922, we are proud to be the firm that businesses trust with their most complex legal matters.

We are currently recruiting for the following role in our Toronto office:

National Director, Client Development 

The National Director, Client Development is responsible for driving revenue growth in the firm's strategic markets through the expansion of existing client relationships and new client acquisition, with an emphasis on the Private Equity and Investment Fund industries, and our M&A and corporate finance practices.

The successful candidate will have primary coverage of our Private Equity & Investment Funds industry team and related Key Client teams, with management responsibility for national business development initiatives, including:

• strategic planning and execution;
• advancing client pursuits, prospects and international referral relationships;
• operational oversight of initiatives such as deal reporting, league tables, directory submissions, and related content development; and
• coordination with other practices and industry groups to ensure the right resources are included in opportunities and client relationships.

Working with our Communications & Brand team, the incumbent will also drive the ideation and execution of marketing campaigns and events that bolster the reputation of our transactional practices. This includes recommendations on industry event and conference attendance or sponsorships of value.

This role reports to the Chief Client Development Officer and will have accountability for driving and managing performance of a team supporting other strategic industries, practices and client relationships identified by the firm. The role will sit in Toronto, with national coverage and occasional travel to our other offices.

This is a hands-on role for a senior, confident, and experienced business development professional who possesses strategic thinking and leadership abilities, sound judgment, superior relationship development skills, excellent written and oral communications 

Essential Functions

General 

• Establish immediate credibility as the "go to" senior professional for client relationship building and business development initiatives
• Work with various leadership stakeholders, including the firm’s Chair, CEO, Chief Client Development Officer, Chief Business Planning & Performance Officer and Head of Strategy to implement, evolve, track accountabilities for and measure results of the firm’s business and client development strategy

Client Development 

• Act as client development lead for the Private Equity & Investment Funds industry team and select Key Client Teams (those with a significant nexus to our transactional practices), assisting team leaders with:
• development and execution of business plans;
• development and management of pursuit and prospect lists;
• information sharing;
• reporting and accountability against actions; and
• measuring and reporting results (all with support from the Program Manager, Client Development).
• Act as the primary client development liaison for lawyers in the firm’s transactional practices, including M&A, capital markets and financial services, including overseeing the development and execution of and resource assignment to business development initiatives and marketing campaigns that establish the firm’s market leadership
• Establish and oversee processes for the efficient and comprehensive collection of the firm’s transactional experience and its tracking and dissemination in various channels, including the firm’s deal database, website/bios, league tables, directory submissions and other reporting to the firm (in conjunction with the Knowledge Management team)
• Direct the timely review and update of content that showcases our expertise in these industries and practices, including website content, publications, and templated proposal content
• Direct and, where required, lead strategic pursuit and proposal processes, utilizing the firm’s Win Strategy tools and working collaboratively with our Proposals & Pursuits team
• Develop and oversee processes for maintaining updated analytics and information for the private equity industry in Canada, including: deal flow statistics, relevant events, publications and media, and mailing/contact lists
• Working with the Senior Manager, International Business Development, manage the international law firm and other referral relationships most relevant to the transactional practices, track activity (visits, referrals, revenue), support and coordinate foreign travel teams, and assist with deepening our most valuable relationships
• Liaise with Business Planning & Performance, Accounting, Pricing, Competitive Intelligence, Knowledge Management and Technology professionals to develop and deliver high-value reporting tools that support thoughtful business development efforts, including leverage of databases such as Pitchbook, Bloomberg and Mergermarket
• Counsel and coach lawyers to help them hone their business development skills, track their efforts, and act as a mentor and enforcer of accountability and coordination

Management

• Manage and direct a client development team responsible for coverage of other industry teams and practice areas critical to the firm
• Work closely with Communications and Brand team to drive effective business development campaigns that leverage all channels of promotion
• Work closely with the CRM and Events team to ensure contact and event management strategy aligns with business development objectives
• Work with other resources across the department and firm to ensure high-quality, efficient processes, reporting and intelligence that enables revenue generation
• Strategic oversight of client-focused sponsorships, including evaluation of business cases and ROI (with support from Sponsorship team)

Qualifications

• 10 years+ experience at a senior management level in business development within a law firm, professional services environment, investment firm or significant public/private company
• Degree in business or marketing, with an MBA, LLB/JD, Canadian Securities Course or other relevant continuing education considered an asset
• Demonstrated ability to generate immediate credibility and collaborative relationships with senior management, lawyers, peers and administrative staff
• Proven track record in developing, implementing and leading client relationship and business development programs
• Ability to develop and execute business development strategic plans and campaigns using necessary marketing mix and business development tools
• Strong business acumen; ability to research and analyze trends in practice/industry and identify new business opportunities
• Demonstrated editing skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks concurrently
• Ability to identify and balance the relationship between firm objectives and the needs of internal and external stakeholders