US Head of Business Development

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world's most innovative people and businesses. Deeply embedded within our sectors, we work closely together with our clients to crack complex problems, enabling ideas and aspirations to thrive. Together we challenge expectation and create extraordinary results. By shaping the conversation in our sectors, we enable our clients to unlock growth, protect innovation and accelerate ambition. 

With 1000+ lawyers, 300+ partners, 29 offices and 17 jurisdictions we are looking to expand our Business Development  team, with the addition of a US Head of Business Development.

The opportunity for you

Taylor Wessing has an ambitious growth strategy and a vision to be a leading global law firm of choice in the technology, life sciences & healthcare, real estate, infrastructure and energy, and private wealth sectors. The US is a significant inbound capital source for our business, offering substantial opportunities for TW to service US clients expanding into Europe and bringing both deal flow and contentious mandates. From more than 30 years of dedication to the region, we have built an enviable roster of US headquartered clients that instruct us across multiple practice areas, and multiple offices. Buoyed by our San Francisco office and regular visits to the US from across the firm, we have built a leading reputation with corporates, in-house counsel, intermediaries and communities. This role sits at the heart of the firm offering the successful candidate significant international exposure. Reporting to the partners in charge of the San Francisco office, and the Head of Origination, based in London, this role will help develop and implement the teams' broader US strategy and ambitions. This role will work together with an international BDMC team, primarily based in the UK and Germany, as well as the BD assistant on the ground in San Francisco.

Taylor Wessing in the US

• North America is a focus market for Taylor Wessing, particularly within our core sectors of technology, life sciences and healthcare.
• With a team on the ground in San Francisco with extensive experience across M&A, venture capital investments, international expansion, commercial arrangements and data protection & privacy, we offer advice to some of the largest global tech and life sciences businesses. Additionally, each year, we assist between 50 to 75 North American growth companies on their global expansion plans.
• While we don't practice US law, our team in the US works closely with Taylor Wessing lawyers from across the globe to support start-ups, scale-ups and multinational corporations on their expansion, M&A, capital raises and commercial needs throughout Europe, MENA and Asia.

Key responsibilities

• Outward facing business development role forming a central part of the US office team. Primary focus on finding and developing leads to help win new clients, supporting existing relationships and building new ones in support of the US business plan.
• Lead on the US events programme by arranging/coordinating events as well as attending events and conferences to extend and develop relationships with potential clients, organisations, intermediaries, agencies and individuals. Each to be considered in the context of the ROI in winning business, raising our profile or partnering on initiatives.
• Ensure local BD activity aligns with TW's global strategy for the US market. Coordinate with international colleagues on business plans relating to the US market and work with the US team to continue to drive business development in line with the US business plan objectives, whilst managing the supporting BD budget.
• Lead on marketing and business intelligence as well as undertaking client research to engage prospects and clients in the US and provide insight and content from across the business to engage US-based clients/prospects.
• Collaborate with international sector and practice heads, and BD leads, to deliver coordinated international BD projects and marketing campaigns to the US office. This includes facilitating visits to the US market, ensuring that visits and roadshows are effectively coordinated.
• Assist in elevating the firm's profile in the US market by collaborating with our digital, PR and events teams to increase TW's overall halo effect, assisting with content marketing initiatives, communicating with networks and communities of working professionals, and carrying out campaigns pertinent to the US market.
• Contribute to international pitch, new business and client opportunities, and maintain relevant marketing collateral and client facing materials to support BD activities.
• Collaborate with the international BD team to track inbound and outbound referrals between Taylor Wessing offices and our network of strategic alliance and relationship firms.
• Co-ordinate regular internal communications, including for practice, sector and global leadership teams.
• Frequent contact with global BD and marketing colleagues to ensure alignment with firm strategy, best practice, enhance opportunities for cross-selling and identify potential new joint Marketing & BD initiatives

Knowledge, skills and experience

• A proven ability to build, maintain and develop professional networks
• An outstanding track record of BD including managing significant BD projects or initiatives.
• A good understanding of the start-up lifecycle, preferably across the Tech and Life Sciences ecosystems.
• Experience of leadership within the BD community and ability to influence and advise partners.
• Proven ability to conduct business analysis and develop strategic plans (responsibility for business planning and project management).
• Ability to work as part of a small, closely knit team, and experience of managing and motivating individuals. A good track record of working collaboratively across borders and leading international projects.
• A proactive, tenacious, flexible and creative approach and ability to work in an autonomous environment.
• The ability to take initiative, deliver results and achieve positive outcomes.
• A strong commercial mindset, ambition and drive.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and oral and strong attention to detail.
• Previous experience of operating in a professional services environment preferred but not critical

Salary

$110,000 - $135,000

Benefits

Here are a select few benefits that Taylor Wessing offer; 

• Hybrid working (Offering the opportunity to work remotely, while maintaining a social boundary by working from our award-winning offices for 3 days a week) 
• Along with these there are many more benefits we offer, with the addition of a comprehensive flexible benefits package available. 

Our culture

Nurturing a diverse, inclusive culture allows all of our talent to flourish, sparks creativity and powers innovation.  We continue to build a team that exemplifies inclusivity and reflects the firm's core values: creative, excellence, integrity, responsible, respect and team.  We value and celebrate the differences in who we are, what we have experienced and how we think, so all candidates will be treated fairly regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender identity, marital status, neurodiversity, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

The way we work

At Taylor Wessing, we never settle for average. We're creative thinkers, problem solvers and continuous learners who excel at what we do and believe our best work is still ahead of us. We are a firm that's large enough for you to achieve your ambitions, but connected enough to be a true community.  

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