Associate Director, Business Development - M&A Corporate
Job Description
Are you ready to make your mark as part of our Business Development team in our London Office?
The Associate Director, Business Development, is a strategic leader and trusted advisor who shapes and drives business development strategy for their practice group, with a strong cross-practice and cross-functional lens. The role is accountable for designing and leading high-impact, multi-disciplinary initiatives that advance sustainable growth, strengthen client relationships, and align with the firm’s long-term objectives.
Acting as a senior expert resource to partners and leadership teams, the Associate Director provides strategic counsel on client acquisition, account growth, and retention—translating market insight, competitive intelligence, and performance data into actionable recommendations. The role leads the development and execution of priority business development programs and complex pursuits, ensuring innovation, consistency, and alignment with client needs and firm priorities.
The Associate Director champions collaboration across practice groups, industry teams, strategic client teams, and regional marketing colleagues to deliver integrated, client-focused solutions. The role also drives continuous improvement of business development standards, processes, and ways of working—promoting operational excellence, effective use of resources, and measurable impact— while ensuring activity remains commercially competitive and aligned with firm governance and risk parameters.
Duties and Accountabilities
Strategic planning and client cultivation
Lead the development and execution of client-specific strategies in partnership with practice and industry leaders, ensuring alignment with firm priorities.
Utilize market intelligence, client mapping, and competitive analysis to identify and pursue high-value client opportunities, and to deepen relationships with strategic clients.
Guide teams in the creation of business plans and ensures BD efforts are integrated with broader firm strategy.
Proposals and pitch excellence
Oversee the design and delivery of highly tailored, innovative, and priority-aligned proposals and pitches for key matters.
Collaborate across practices and functions to bring the best of the firm to each opportunity, leveraging client and industry insights to secure high-impact work.
Champion best practices in pitch development and ensures consistency in firm positioning.
Positioning Practices & Partners
Develop and lead thought leadership initiatives and external positioning efforts, working closely with marketing and communications teams.
Develop and execute strategies to showcase the firm’s expertise, drive business growth, and strengthen the reputation of the practice group and its partners.
Ensure alignment of thought leadership, legal rankings, and external events with firm strategy and growth priorities.
Cross-Practice & Stakeholder Collaboration
Act as a visible senior leader, fostering cross-practice alignment and collaboration with PG/Regional marketers, strategic client teams, and industry BD teams.
Influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders, including executive committee members, regional section heads, and partners, to drive strategic business development initiatives and optimize client engagement.
Contributor capacity
Develop, lead and execute impactful major projects and/or teams (directly or through matrix leadership), providing direction, coaching, and oversight to ensure high standards of delivery and professional development.
Deliver impact regardless of span of control; recognized for strategic thinking, innovative problem-solving, and the ability to resolve complex, cross-functional issues affecting growth, client outcomes, and market positioning.
Performance and impact
Accountable for the measurable impact of BD initiatives, including growth in client relationships, successful pitches, enhanced market positioning, and the achievement of strategic business development goals.
Drive continuous improvement and ensures the BD function delivers maximum value to the firm.
Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience; professional certification(s) a plus.
Significant experience in business development (or closely aligned commercial/marketing roles) within a complex professional services environment; legal sector experience preferred.
Deep expertise in core BD disciplines (e.g., client strategy and planning, pitching and pursuit management, market positioning and thought leadership), with demonstrated ability to lead complex initiatives from design through execution.
Strong understanding of the legal market, client buying dynamics, and competitor positioning; ability to translate external insight into clear BD priorities and differentiated strategies.
Demonstrated ability to operate cross-functionally and cross-practice, influencing senior stakeholders and aligning diverse teams in a matrix environment.
Proven commercial acumen and analytical capability; able to use data, judgment, and market insight to diagnose issues, develop solutions, and advise leadership.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills; able to build consensus, manage sensitive conversations, and represent the practice group professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement in standards, processes, and ways of working, ensuring high-quality delivery, effective use of resources, and measurable impact.
Experience leading teams and/or major projects, including coaching and developing colleagues and driving high performance through clear expectations and accountability.
What We Offer
When you join us, you’ll be working directly with partners, business leaders and many other inspiring colleagues across our global network of offices. We live by our values—to be pioneering, united and human—and we believe that you’ll experience them from your first day. We will give you the support and development opportunities that will help you achieve your potential.
We believe that consistent high performance merits reward and support. Our compensation package reflects your calibre as a Business Development professional, and our benefits are designed to support your changing needs and priorities across different life stages.
Location and Reporting
This role will be based in the London office and report to our Director, Business Development, Corporate.
Our standard office hours are 9:30-18:00, with a requirement for 4 days in the office (Monday - Thursday) per week.
Firm Benefits
We offer a flexible range of benefits, services and programmes designed to help support your lifestyle requirements. Some of the benefits currently available include:
Private medical insurance
Pension plan with matched employer contribution up to 7.5%
Yearly wellbeing fund
Income protection
Life insurance
Critical Illness insurance
Private GP services
Travel insurance
Dental coverage
Cycle to work
Holiday purchase (available during annual enrolment)
Equal Opportunity Statement
White & Case is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm’s policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.
If you require assistance and/or adjustment to participate in our application and/or interview process, please email us. We will be happy to work with you.
Note to recruitment agencies: Our internal Recruitment team is responsible for all end-to-end lateral recruitment processes. All agencies must sign White & Case terms of business, which are office specific. Candidates submitted by an agency without terms of business agreed with the appropriate office, and/or outside of our online application tracking system, will not be considered a formal introduction.
Any applications and CVs sent directly to White & Case Partners and employees will not be accepted as formal introductions. If you have any questions, please contact the London Recruitment team.
When engaging with agencies, we are supported by our preferred suppliers.
This role reports to
Director, Business Development, Global PracticesEqual Opportunities
White & Case is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm’s policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.
If you require assistance and/or adjustment to participate in our application and/or interview process, please email us. We will be happy to work with you.
The Firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.
The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.
Note to Recruitment Agencies
Our internal Recruitment team manages all aspects of lateral hiring. All agencies must have signed terms of business—specific to the relevant office—before submitting any candidates. CVs or applications sent directly to White & Case partners or employees will also not be considered formal introductions. If you have questions, please contact the relevant Recruitment team. We work with our preferred suppliers when engaging agencies.