Background
The firm is investing in the growth of its UK and European Business Development and Client Development capability, with a particular focus on its transactional practices. The mandate required an experienced, hands-on operator with the credibility and strategic acumen to shape the function’s direction.
Objective
Working in close partnership with senior partners, this individual will need to immerse themselves in client and practice objectives, translating growth ambitions into structured, commercially aligned initiatives. It presents a rare opportunity to help define and build a division at a pivotal stage in its evolution.
The successful candidate needed experience within a leading law firm environment and a proven track record in business development and client engagement strategies.
Credible engagement with Partners and experience operating within a US headquartered international law firm were key requirements.
Requirement
What the firm had to say
The firm is investing in the growth of its UK and European Business Development and Client Development capability, with a particular focus on its transactional practices. The mandate required an experienced, hands-on operator with the credibility and strategic acumen to shape the function’s direction.
Working in close partnership with senior partners, this individual will need to immerse themselves in client and practice objectives, translating growth ambitions into structured, commercially aligned initiatives. It presents a rare opportunity to help define and build a division at a pivotal stage in its evolution.
The Solution
A headhunting process, delivered at pace, was the best way to unearth and ensure access to the best candidates. This was never going to be about receiving a high volume of profiles.
Cultural fit was going to be key as was the mix of strategic capability alongside hands on delivery from within a specific type of environment.
Our comments
“I knew from the outset that this mandate would require absolute clarity around the narrative behind the hire. The brief called for a very specific blend of experience, so the story needed to strike a careful balance: compelling enough to generate genuine interest, yet precise enough to ensure the required capability was non-negotiable.
It was essential that the growth ambition resonated, while also securing sufficient buy-in from a highly selective talent pool: Individuals willing to engage in shaping a role that was still evolving.
The position needed to be defined around the right individual, without ever drifting from the firm’s broader strategic objectives.
This is a highly regarded name within the legal sector, with a strong and established reputation, an advantage in opening conversations.
The real challenge, however, lay in identifying the one individual with the appropriate background and credibility, coupled with the appetite to step into something ambitious, where not every parameter was fixed from day one.”
