A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.
We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients. Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.
What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.
Department purpose and structure
The business development, marketing and communications team is integral to the setting and achievement of the firm’s global client strategy, which includes guiding the partners and associates in their pursuit of becoming the clients’ trusted advisers, building and maintaining long-lasting, deep institutional client relationships, winning new clients, increasing the visibility of the firm globally, and positioning the firm as the thought leader and most advanced law firm among the global elite law firms. The function works as one team across the globe with very close collaboration between the central groups. The APAC BD&M department works alongside our lawyers and advanced delivery solutions teams on Business Development (BD), Marketing, Client Relationship Management (CRM), Communications, and Events. Our goal is to proactively inspire and push fee-earners to undertake effective commercial actions that raise our profile, build great client relationships and drive business across the firm’s strategic priorities.
Role purpose
We're searching for a dynamic BD Lead to join our ASEAN and broader APAC and global business development team. This is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of our ASEAN strategy and be part of the APAC BD&M function. Its purpose is to lead the strategic focus of the In-Market operations of the Firm’s BD&M function for the ASEAN offices, and developing a strategic focused, market-leading BD&M business-partnering function which enables the ASEAN offices to win, retain and grow business through consistently high standards, engaging thought leadership as well as strong relationship and account management.
The role needs to understand the particular legal environment / regulatory issues and or other business/commercial issues relevant within the ASEAN business and market that may impact how we, as a global law firm, profile and present ourselves to clients within that market (e.g. local nuances of doing business within the local community). Develop location-specific content that reinforces our understanding of doing business in the local market and/or issues that are relevant when advising international clients who want to engage with us (i.e. local laws). Through a sector led approach develop a Client Relationship Management priority client program of jurisdiction specific clients. The role will focus on two main areas, ASEAN and a strategic client, sector or practice portfolio in agreement with ASEAN regional leadership.
Key relationships
- ASEAN Regional Managing Partners
- ASEAN Office Managing Partners
- Other APAC Regional Managing Partners
- Partners and lawyers
- Head of Marketing, Communications & BD (APAC)
- APAC Regional BDMC leadership group
- BD&MC colleagues in specialist and end-to-end functions globally
Role and responsibilities
- Strategic business planning – working with regional leadership and ASEAN office managing partners to shape and implement a client centric business development strategy for the ASEAN business in collaboration with the partners in line with sector, practice and regional strategic objectives and then tracking progress against priorities. Act as a coach to partners and lawyers on their personal business plans.
- Client relationship management – Through a sector led approach develop a Client Relationship Management priority client program of jurisdiction specific clients. Lead on the management of a defined number of strategic client relationships, acting as the focal point of contact globally for these accounts. Managing BD programmes and initiatives and coordinating client targeting efforts across the office and region.
- Client listening – Facilitate participation in our client listening program for key clients, proactively work with BD colleagues (including the new global Head of Client Insights) and the partners to ensure that the feedback is actioned appropriately.
- Market and practice expertise - development of own knowledge of various industry sectors, economic trends/drivers and clients associated with the ASEAN practices. Initiate market and client research to support business planning activities and spot emerging trends or opportunities: oversee the maintenance of a flow of market/client intelligence (eg pipeline matters, major players, market shares, key client contact moves and other developments)
- Team leadership - provide coaching and mentoring as necessary and provide people management support. Ensure a consistently high-quality output across the team. Further grow the BD team’s value to the ASEAN offices and firm.
- Continuous improvement - Share and drive the implementation of best practices across the team; spur continuous improvement of work processes and outputs. Adopting technology, AI and bring a fresh approach.
- Pitching and Pursuits - Lead on / oversee key strategic pitches and other strategic BD client/commercial initiatives. Contribute the ASEAN perspective to the global marketing function operating model.
Key requirements
- Able to operate in a leadership role – to set a direction, bring others along with them, take accountability for results. Talent and commitment to motivate and grow people.
- Sophisticated understanding of how to develop key client relationships, through best-in-class and scalable client development methods.
- Expertise and experience across the full marketing, BD and client development spectrum – able to both advise and deliver at a senior level.
- Strategic focus – proven track record of delivering strategic advice to the business. Operates autonomously and able to drive a change agenda aligned to the firm’s client strategy.
- Team player – works alongside others in marketing and across the business to create shared successes, coaching and developing more junior members of the wider marketing team.
- Proven ability to act as a (pro)active sparring partner for fee-earners (partners in particular but not exclusively), to inspire and challenge, to identify and ‘sell’ new BD opportunities ats, turn these into actionable business opportunities and drive the execution
- Experience in and deep understanding of the ASEAN markets
