Business Development Executive

Watson Farley & Williams was established in London in 1982 and is an international law firm dedicated to client care, legal excellence and investment in its people.  The firm has offices in Athens, Bangkok, Dubai, London, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, Rome and Singapore.

The firm has seen rapid expansion in size and geography.  Having started as a maritime law firm, in which it remains pre-eminent, the firm is today recognised for its specialist focus on five core sectors: Energy & Infrastructure, Maritime, Natural Resources, Real Estate and Transport in which it provides a full suite of services including finance, corporate, dispute resolution, tax, employment and regulatory.

The role will require a self-motivated person who is capable of working with and supporting our Business Development Managers in the management of existing client relationships and the development of new business opportunities.  They will be primarily working with the London Corporate and London Real Estate teams as well as our global Real Estate sector.

• Assisting in drafting and implementing business and marketing plans.

• Assisting with the development and implementation of campaigns to grow new and existing business.

• Working on pitches and credentials statements, covering the entire process including research, document preparation, attending presentation rehearsals and assisting with post pitch feedback.

• Coordinating and drafting directory submissions, league tables and awards.

• Coordinating events (in conjunction with the events team) and conference attendance to develop/maintain market positions matched to the business strategy and generate leads for the Partners/practice.

• Drafting and updating marketing materials including web content and other collateral.

• Capturing and reviewing deal and pitch content ensuring information is available on all global databases.

• Raising the profile of the partners/practice via various communication channels including social media and the website.

• Championing the use of our CRM system including ensuring all relevant information is in the system.

• Involvement in account management as it develops across the firm including client feedback.

• Involvement and support in firmwide projects as appropriate.

• 2 year’s business development experience.

• Law firm or professional services experience.

• Pitch experience required.

• The ability to work effectively with and influence partners and others.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills.

• The ability to understand product and service development issues.

• The ability to take responsibility for and lead specific projects.

• Tenacity to see projects and tasks through to completion.

• Good team-working/building skills.

• Strong attention to detail.

At Watson Farley & Williams we value diversity and promote a culture of respect for each individual. We encourage workforce diversity at all levels and in all aspects from recruitment and selection to appraisal and promotion. All decisions relating to employment practice will be objective and based on merit and ability.