Business Development Manager - California Region and Global Funds

Overview

Cleary Gottlieb is a leading global law firm with 14 offices in major financial and business centers around the world. For 80 years, our lawyers and professional staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international.

 

We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch. We have a proven track record for serving with innovation. We are fluent in the many languages of local and global business. We have achieved consistent success for the world's leading corporates, investment funds, financial institutions, and governments.

 

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for supporting the Firm's market growth strategies and commitment to client service. This role will be split between dedicated practice group support and California-specific business development and profile-raising efforts. Given California's importance as a strategic market for the Firm's Global Funds practice, the position combines dedicated business development support for the Global Funds practice group with responsibility for advancing cross-practice business development, client development, and profile-raising initiatives across the Firm's California offices. The individual will contribute meaningfully to the strategic goals of the Global Funds practice group while serving as the Firm's primary business development resource in California, partnering with attorneys across practices to support regional growth initiatives and ensure dedicated business development support during Pacific Time business hours. This role requires knowledge of market and competitive landscapes, as well as experience deploying business development, marketing, and professional services best practices.

Responsibilities

Practice Group Business Development

• Serve as a dedicated business development resource for the Firm's leading Global Funds practice group, partnering closely with California- and globally-based attorneys to develop and execute the practice's business development strategy and drive measurable results across BD initiatives.
• Prepare and oversee tailored pitches, RFP responses, presentations, and practice credentials, maintaining high-quality, opportunity-specific materials that position the practice competitively.
• Conduct market, competitive, and client research, including SWOT analyses, industry trend monitoring, and competitor intelligence, to inform strategic decisions, identify revenue opportunities, and deliver actionable insights to attorneys on a regular basis.
• Manage award and directory submissions, including Chambers and Legal 500, and drive profile-raising initiatives in coordination with PR, Events, and other internal teams to elevate the practice's market visibility.
• Support client-targeting efforts, cross-selling strategies, and client feedback programs, ensuring feedback is captured, shared, and acted upon to strengthen relationships and drive growth.

California-Specific Business Development & Profile-Raising

• Build trusted relationships with attorneys across the California offices to provide responsive, strategic BD support in the Pacific time zone.
• Develop a deep understanding of the Firm's West Coast practices, clients, and strategic priorities to drive client engagement and growth.
• Lead California-focused profile-raising efforts, including office events, media coverage, legal publication visibility, speaking opportunities, seminars, sponsorships, and webinars, in collaboration with attorneys, PR, Events, and BD teams.
• Manage award and directory submissions to build market recognition for the California offices.
• Provide research, analysis, and reporting to identify new business opportunities, enhance existing client relationships, and monitor trends impacting external counsel selection.
• Coordinate with designated team members handling operational and administrative functions for the California team to ensure seamless coverage and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Organize and attend partner meetings, develop agendas, document key takeaways, and drive accountability on follow-up actions.

Qualifications

The position requires a high-energy and motivated team player who is also able to work independently as the primary regional business development contact for Cleary’s expanding California platform. The individual must be able to adapt to change, balance competing priorities and remain responsive outside of traditional business hours. They must also be able to work with senior BD leadership to create and implement best practices regarding experience management, pitching, client targeting, etc., all while bringing a proactive approach to their work.

• 7+ years of relevant business development experience, and knowledge of, or experience with, the legal market in California, preferably in a top 200 law firm
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Liberal Arts or related field desired
• Excellent analytical and research skills and the ability to process information from a wide variety of sources
• Extraordinary attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Experience working independently as well as within cross-functional teams in a collaborative, professional environment
• Strong computer skills with various Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Expected to monitor emails outside of normal business hours and be available as needed
• Ability to physically work in each of the Northern California offices, although one of the offices (the Peninsula or San Francisco) can be designated as the “home base office” for this role

 

**This role has the ability to work remotely a maximum of two days per week, in lieu of working onsite. The Firm may designate the specific days you are required to work onsite. This policy is subject to change.

 

**Practice portfolio is subject to change to maintain alignment with the evolving needs of the firm.

 

The estimated base salary for this position ranges from $160,000 to $180,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will be determined based on various job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, the scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This is a exempt role, meaning it is not eligible for overtime pay.

 

Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

 

We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.

 

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