Senior Business Development Manager - Finance & Investment Funds

THE FIRM As a leading international law firm, we are dedicated to excellence through impactful communication, collaboration, and community involvement. Our company culture has earned us one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for 27 consecutive years. This honor, along with many others, highlights our commitment to innovation and professional development. At Alston & Bird LLP, our foundation is made of trust, reliability, and compassion. JOB DESCRIPTION The Senior Business Development Manager will drive growth for the firm's Finance and Investment Funds practice groups by leading sophisticated BD strategy, client targeting, and market-positioning initiatives. Based in New York, this highly visible role partners directly with practice leaders and attorneys to identify revenue opportunities, deepen client relationships, and elevate the firm's profile in competitive finance and private capital markets. This role requires a strategic, commercially minded BD leader with executive presence, sound judgment, strong project leadership, and the ability to influence stakeholders and drive disciplined execution. ESSENTIAL DUTIES Serve as senior BD advisor and primary contact for Finance and Investment Funds attorneys and practice leaders. Lead strategic BD initiatives that support growth, client development, cross-selling, and market visibility. Develop and manage client targeting, pursuit, and follow-up programs, including tracking activity, outcomes, and next steps. Align BD activities with practice priorities, revenue opportunities, and client service goals. Use market, client, industry, and competitive intelligence to guide targeting, positioning, and pursuits. Maintain and leverage deal, matter, and experience data for pitches, credentials, rankings, league tables, and client development. Support lateral partner integration by aligning client relationships, credentials, and go-to-market priorities with firmwide BD efforts. Prepare pitches, proposals, RFP responses, capability statements, presentations, and related BD materials. Manage BD budgets and evaluate sponsorships, memberships, conferences, and client-facing events for ROI and strategic alignment. Coordinate client programs, thought leadership, marketing materials, and other visibility initiatives. Manage directory, ranking, and award submissions, including Chambers , Legal 500 , Best Lawyers , and Best Law Firms . Track BD activities, opportunities, and follow-up to support accountability and measurement. Supervise, mentor, and help prioritize work for BD team members supporting the assigned practices. SKILLS NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL Strong business development, client development, and professional services judgment. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities. High attention to detail and commitment to quality work product. Ability to build credibility with…