Director of Business Development & Marketing

Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell is a nationally recognized civil litigation boutique based in Denver, Colorado. We are recruiting our next Director of Business Development & Marketing. This is an exempt position reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and is located in the Firm’s Denver office.

Since 1998, WTO has been at the forefront of some of the nation’s most critical and industry-changing trials and litigation. From complex commercial disputes to consumer class actions and catastrophic torts, few firms can match our passion for client service, stand-up experience, and our deep trial bench of approximately 120 lawyers.

WTO is a tight-knit litigation and trial boutique. We know who we are and where we are going—a tremendous benefit to anyone in a marketing role for the Firm. Succession planning has long been a central feature of our business strategy. While WTO’s founding partners may still be found in the office (or on the road for clients) daily, the second generation of leadership is firmly established and running the firm. WTO is also actively cultivating third- and fourth-gen leaders. We hope to engage a Director who will collaborate and grow with these various generations of leaders for years to come.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Director of Business Development & Marketing plays a central role in presenting the firm and its brand to clients, prospective clients, peer and competitor firms, and the legal industry. Moreover, this position has historically been a leader in the Firm, helping to inform critical decisions and execute accordingly, and contributing daily to the Firm’s culture of excellence, belonging, collaboration, and collegiality.

Over the past 26 years, WTO has built its brand around a progressive business development and marketing culture, inside and out. WTO’s marketing and BD platforms are already highly regarded in Colorado and across the U.S. We expect the next Director to plug into these platforms and help take them to the next level. WTO seeks a visionary Director who can not only continue the Firm’s progress in its current efforts, if appropriate but also see and suggest new efforts or expressions that WTO may not have considered to support the Firm in achieving new successes.

The Director oversees the day-to-day management of the Marketing Team (currently the Director and three other full-time team members) and ensures high-quality service delivery to firm attorneys. Additionally, this position collaborates closely with the Firm’s Management Committee and its Partners to drive client growth and develop initiatives to align with the Firm’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities:

The position’s essential responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide proactive leadership and direction to the department, developing skills and capabilities within the team that will ensure excellence in service to the Firm’s lawyers and clients.
• Ensure proper staffing, reporting structures, resource allocation, and trainings to support the success of the department.
• Advise and mentor team members to help them progress in their individual goals and ensure that project goals are met in a timely fashion.
• Provide leadership in skills trainings across a wide variety of subjects including business development, marketing, communications, social media, and more.
• Set and monitor performance metrics for the department to measure the overall effectiveness of programs, initiatives, and tools, including all business development and marketing initiatives.

Client Development and Retention

• Support the continuous development of processes and tools to grow client relationships and related experience tracking.
• Collaborate with Firm Management and Partners to develop client development strategies and initiatives, client teams, and client feedback programs.
• Guide the department in leveraging the Firm’s differentiators and reputation so they are maximized in the market, including the production of market-appropriate materials, PR activities, website development, awards, and directories.
• With the Marketing Partner, review and approve attorneys’ BD spending requests.

Proposals, Pitches, and Pursuits

• Oversee the ongoing development of the pitch team; direct and guide the pitch team in executing pitch materials and presentations.
• Lead business development initiatives aimed at nurturing client relationships, including client feedback and client teams.
• Direct strategic business development initiatives at the Firm, practice, industry, and individual attorney level.
• Oversee the development of group and individual business plans in support of the Firm’s strategic plan.
• Review and interpret client, financial, industry, competitor, and other data to help identify cross-selling, profile-raising and client-development opportunities.
• Ensure that written content and marketing toolkits for each practice and industry area are maintained and align with strategy.
• Collect, analyze, and proactively utilize ROI relating to business development activities.

Other Essential Functions

• Represent WTO to and raise the Firm’s profile in external organizations such as the Legal Marketing Association, The Trial Network, The Denver Law Firm Coalition for Equity & Inclusion, etc.
• Constantly evaluate and adjust outside services and tools to ensure that the Firm has the right supports to meet and exceed strategic goals and objectives; examples include PR, technology, competitive/market intelligence, and more.
• Manage relationships with vendors, clients, and internal stakeholders.
• Manage the Firm’s business development and marketing budgets.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Work cooperatively and productively with all firm employees

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• 7 years of relevant experience and knowledge of the internal workings in a law firm, consulting, or other professional services firm.
• 5 years of experience managing and developing teams with the ability to mentor and provide timely feedback.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, marketing, or a related field, or the equivalent professional experience including strong knowledge of business development, marketing, and client relations; JD, MBA, or MS degree preferred.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and ability to develop partnerships and influence executive management, attorneys, and clients.
• Strong knowledge of the US legal and business markets and client needs with the ability to analyze and translate emerging issues into business development opportunities for the Firm.
• Demonstrated experience deploying and managing strategy, processes, and policies within a budgetary and time-critical framework.
• Experience leading significant client pitches.
• Ability to proofread for style, accuracy, and presentation, sometimes working on these simultaneously; and
• Awareness of ethical rules affecting legal marketing, and the judgment to consult the Firm’s general counsel as needed.

Work Environment

The team atmosphere is fostered not only by the lawyers, but by all members of the support staff. Our firm’s employees are proud of collaborating to service firm clients. Our commitment to teamwork allows us to tap multiple fields of experience from our range of practice areas, ensuring our ability to meet each client’s individual needs. Our team approach enables us to analyze a situation from several points of view until we uncover the advantage that makes the difference for our client.

Salary Range: $175,000 - $225,000 annually. The final salary will be commensurate with education and experience. Additionally, the firm provides standard benefits including health insurance, 401(k) contribution, and paid time off, with annual bonus potential based on firm performance.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the firm to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our firm. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.