Business Development Manager

Penningtons Manches Cooper is a leading UK and international law firm, recognised for combining legal expertise with a deep understanding of our clients’ commercial objectives. With over 400 specialist lawyers, we provide a full-service offering tailored to the needs of businesses and individuals, delivering high-quality, practical legal advice across a range of sectors.

Our Marketing and Business Development team plays a central role in driving the firm’s strategic growth ambitions. Comprising 28 dedicated professionals, the team has been recognised as a finalist for Best Business Support Team at the British Legal Awards in both 2024 and 2025, reflecting its impact in delivering commercially focused and innovative BD initiatives across the firm and a testament to its collaborative approach.

We are seeking a Business Development Manager to join our Real Estate division. As one of the largest areas of the firm, the division comprises six teams and over 120 fee-earners, with ambitious growth plans. To support this next phase of growth, we are strengthening our BD capability by introducing an additional Business Development Manager to work alongside the existing BD Manager and BD Executive.

This is a pivotal role, designed to enhance the division’s ability to deliver high-quality, consistent and strategically aligned business development activity. You will take ownership of a defined group of Real Estate teams, ensuring they receive dedicated, proactive BD support, while working closely with colleagues to deliver a cohesive divisional approach.

This role will play a key part in further strengthening and evolving the division’s business development approach, supporting a more structured, insight-led and growth-focused model.

• Act as the primary BD contact for allocated Real Estate teams, ensuring consistent and high-quality support
• Work closely with partners and senior stakeholders to understand priorities, challenges and growth opportunities
• Support the development and delivery of team-level BD plans aligned to divisional strategy
• Provide practical, commercially focused advice to fee-earners on business development activity
• Contribute insight and intelligence to support strategic decision-making
• Help identify new market opportunities, client segments and growth areas

• Manage day-to-day business development activity across assigned teams, ensuring delivery is proactive and well-coordinated
• Support and coordinate pitches, proposals and capability materials, ensuring high-quality and consistent outputs
• Oversee the development of credentials, presentations and marketing collateral aligned to client needs
• Lead on all profile-raising activity, including directories, awards, publications and thought leadership

• Support partners in identifying and developing key client and referrer relationships
• Contribute to client account planning and help drive follow-through on agreed actions
• Identify opportunities for cross-selling and collaboration across practice areas
• Help ensure consistent and structured support for priority relationships

• Plan and deliver targeted BD campaigns aligned to sector and client priorities
• Support the delivery of client events, seminars and profile-raising initiatives
• Work with marketing specialists to ensure activity is integrated across channels
• Contribute to raising the profile and market position of the Real Estate division

• Work with partners, lawyers and business services teams to gather information and support relationship activity
• Assist in coordinating internal client meetings and capturing actions
• Build strong working relationships across the firm while developing confidence engaging with senior stakeholders
• Provide responsive and high-quality support to the Client Relationship Manager and wider BD team

• Support the planning and delivery of client-facing events, round tables and engagement initiatives
• Assist with invitations, logistics, materials and follow-up activity
• Help track attendance, feedback and outcomes from events
• Contribute to ensuring events align with client relationship objectives

• Monitor pipeline activity across teams, helping to identify and progress opportunities
• Support the development of a more structured and visible pipeline approach
• Provide reporting and insight on BD activity,…