Job Description
The role
This twelve-month fixed term contract role will support and drive the growth of our London Private Funds Group ("PFG") and wider Global Funds and Investment Management ("GFIM") practice.
The role will support the client and business development strategy plan for the group to ensure the growth of our relationships with the most innovative and high-profile clients and to maximise our brand in the market.
Who you will work with
PFG advises fund managers on structuring and fundraising private equity, real estate, infrastructure/renewables, debt/credit and emerging markets funds. We are a market leading global team, advising a wide range of fund managers on raising predominantly closed-ended funds and structuring their related executive arrangements and management structures. In addition, we advise on secondary transactions, working closely with our transactional M&A teams. We also carry out ancillary advisory work for fund managers, including on ESG-/sustainability-related matters, and advise certain 'blue chip' institutional investors on their participation in private funds.
The group comprises 6 partners, 35 associates and 10 trainees. In addition, PFG has a dedicated Knowledge Director and a dedicated Head of Strategy and Delivery (both ex-private funds lawyers).
The team is truly global in its approach and client base. We have private funds groups in New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Luxembourg, Paris, Munich and Madrid and these teams work together seamlessly on a regular basis. In particular, our London PFG works very closely with our Luxembourg practice. Clifford Chance has private funds tax and regulatory specialists in most of these jurisdictions, who work on almost all our PFG mandates. Our global, one-stop-shop approach is what sets the CC private funds practice apart from competitors.
The London team is led by Alexandra Davidson, who also leads the GFIM practice.
You will sit within PFG (which falls within the wider London Corporate practice area), in a dedicated PFG business development role covering new parent leave. The group has a truly collegiate approach, and you will also be working with a wider group of client & market development professionals across the CC corporate practice as well as client & market development colleagues in our other offices overseas where we work on private funds mandates. More widely you will work with colleagues across digital marketing, PR, events, research and thought leadership to develop compelling business development propositions and client targeting activity.
What you will be responsible for
Pitching and new work
- Provide end-to-end project management for PFG pitches and capability statements, from initial discussion through to document submission.
- Maintain up-to-date deal lists and template pitch documents bank.
- Support lawyers in the wider GFIM practice where input into pitch documents is required.
- Work on cross-practice, multi-jurisdictional projects and pitches with other team members when needed.
Client focus
- Conduct competitor, client and marketplace analysis to identify new and emerging opportunities.
- Work with the PFG partners on strategy, including maintaining and updating target client lists and monitoring the market for opportunities/researching potential clients.
- Support on client feedback activity in the context of relationship management, pitches and matters.
- Helping organise client events, including events in the CC box at the o2, client drinks/dinner/sporting events.
- Coordinating the team's input into event invite lists for events organised by other teams (where requested to do so).
External marketing and communications
- Coordinating high-profile CC-sponsored market-facing initiatives e.g. BVCA Private Equity roadshow and other sponsored conferences where applicable. Networking with leaders of those organisations.
- Support the creation and distribution of thought leadership material (led by our knowledge director).
- Identify opportunities to position and raise the profile of the PFG and its individual lawyers.
- Oversee the delivery of awards/directory submissions.
- To support the Firm's key relationships with industry bodies, including BVCA and AIMA, working closely with partners that sit on technical committees.
- Attending and coordinating team attendance at certain external conferences in the fund management space (including industry and investor events), representing CC at those events and participating in roundtable/panel discussions.
- Participating in internal CC funds-related conferences and panel events, and assisting in organising/hosting those conferences
Qualifications
Your experience
In order to perform this role successfully, the candidate will require:
- Strong proven experience in professional services business development (preferably in a law firm or in the private capital/fund management industry) and broad experience in dealing with senior management and key stakeholders.
- The ability to hit the ground running and quickly build relationships with senior stakeholders.
- Experience of working on competitive proposals, ideally within the professional services sector.
- Ideally, experience of leading on large scale events, as well as roundtables and conferences.
- Coaching, influencing and presentation skills and be confident, articulate, resilient and focused.
- Good commercial awareness of and knowledge of the fund management industry.
- A track record of being proactive and delivering high quality work.
- Excellent project management skills, as well as being a good team player.
- High quality, effective written and verbal communication skills.
How we will support you
From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge, from informal coaching through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.
You will have the support and direction of the partners in the PFG team, and work closely with the PFG Head of Strategy and Delivery and Knowledge Director, as well as CMD professionals in our global funds teams. You will also be able to access a full suite of 'soft skills' training via Clifford Chance's Academy portal.
Company Description
Who we are
We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.
Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.
You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.
Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.
Additional Information
Hybrid Working
This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.
Equal opportunities statement
At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.
We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.
We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.
Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.
Find out more about our inclusive culture here.
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