Manager: Business Development - Products; Private Equity

Overview

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do. We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Commercial department in our Chicago office, as a Manager:
Business Development
- Products (Private Equity).

The Manager:
Business Development
- Products (Private Equity) will help shape and accelerate strategic growth across our M&A and Private Equity practices. Based in New York, this highly visible role combines client strategy, market intelligence, and revenue generation, enabling lawyers to pursue business development opportunities through deep industry expertise.

Working closely with practice leadership and senior lawyers, this role will develop and execute go-to-market strategies, identify high-value client opportunities, and lead strategic pursuits that deepen relationships with leading private equity sponsors, financial institutions, corporate acquirers, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, infrastructure funds, hedge funds, family offices, and institutional investors. The role spans the full lifecycle of business development—from proactive client targeting, cross-practice initiatives, and market planning to leading complex pitches, thought leadership campaigns, and client engagement programs that reinforce the firm's position at the forefront of private equity and private credit.

This is not a traditional support role, but will operate across jurisdictions and practices, influence senior stakeholders, and contribute directly to revenue growth in a fast-moving, highly competitive market. Success requires a strong understanding of PE and private credit markets, a combination of strategic insight and hands‑on execution capabilities, and a proactive, commercially driven mindset focused on converting opportunities into tangible results.

Essential Functions:

• Business Plans & Infrastructure
  • Develops and supports annual marketing and business development business plan development focused on priorities outlined by firm leaders and/or assigned teams, including thought leadership platforms, communications, and client outreach.
  • Collaborate with Business Development & Marketing department leadership and group leaders to develop annual budgets to support initiatives outlined in business plan(s) or as outlined by leadership, including specifying key strategic and tactical objectives and means to achieve annual goals.
  • Manage day-to-day responsibilities to ensure that assignments and projects are properly managed and in alignment with the firm’s overall strategic efforts, and that service to clients is exceptional.
  • Support the onboarding and integration of lateral lawyers.
• Business Development & Profile Raising Initiatives
  • Develop and support the implementation of key BD initiatives, including priority client targeting and campaigns, client satisfaction, client seminars and networking events, as well as other initiatives to enhance business development efforts.
  • Engage in research and analysis and competitive intelligence-gathering.
  • Support the collection and maintenance of CRM-based contact and other data for marketing planning and for mailing lists.
  • Support in the collection and reporting of matter experience.
  • Partners with BD&M colleagues to facilitate the completion of…