Case Study: Exclusive Search for an Associate Director, Business Development, New York

Helping an Am Law 10 firm strengthen its Securities and Commercial Litigation profile in New York

The brief

Opus Resourcing was retained on an exclusive basis by a leading Am Law 10 and Chambers Band Two firm to support a high-visibility commercial leadership hire in New York.

The search focused on appointing an Associate Director of Securities and Commercial Litigation to help build the firm’s reputation across Securities Litigation, M&A Litigation, and Commercial Litigation.

This was a strategic appointment with senior leadership sponsorship. Opus worked closely with the CMO and Global Litigation Director, while also consulting with partners as key stakeholders at the executive team level.

The successful candidate needed to bring significant Chambers experience, strong litigation business development expertise, and the confidence to introduce more innovative, data-informed BD techniques into a sophisticated partner-led environment.

The challenge

The firm had clear ambitions to grow its litigation reputation in the New York market.

They needed someone who could operate credibly with senior partners, understand the nuances of high-value litigation practices, and help translate legal expertise into stronger market positioning.

The brief called for a candidate who could combine:

• Senior legal business development experience
• Significant Chambers and legal directory expertise
• Credibility across Securities Litigation, M&A Litigation, and Commercial Litigation
• Strong stakeholder management with partners and executive leadership
• A practical understanding of the New York legal market
• Experience using data, insight, and modern BD techniques to support growth
• The confidence to challenge traditional approaches and introduce new ideas

This made the search highly calibrated. It was not enough to find a strong BD professional. The client needed someone who understood litigation, rankings, reputation, partner dynamics, and commercial growth.

Why the client engaged Opus

Opus was selected because of our consultative, data driven search model and our ability to deliver senior specialist mandates across competitive US markets.

Since 2006, Opus Resourcing has recruited Technology, SaaS, Sales, and Executive talent across the UK, Europe, and the US. Our boutique model combines market mapping, talent insights, specialist search technology, and a quality led approach to senior hiring.

Opus has an average time to hire of 31 days, client partnerships that result in a repeat business rate of over 95 percent, and over 50 years of combined recruitment and executive search experience.

Our approach

1. Discovery and search calibration

We began by working closely with the CMO and Global Litigation Director to understand the commercial objectives behind the hire.

The discovery process focused on:

• The firm’s litigation growth ambitions in New York
• The structure and priorities of the global litigation practice
• The expectations of the partner group
• The importance of Chambers, rankings, referees, and market profile
• The role’s contribution to client development and revenue growth
• The need for innovation, data, and new BD techniques
• The cultural and stakeholder dynamics behind a successful appointment

This gave us a clear view of the technical, commercial, and cultural requirements before approaching the market.

2. Market mapping and talent intelligence

We built a targeted map of relevant legal business development talent in New York and adjacent US markets.

The search focused on:

• Peer Am Law and global law firms
• High performing litigation and disputes practices
• Senior BD professionals with strong partner facing experience
• Candidates with significant Chambers and legal directory exposure
• Individuals with experience across litigation, investigations, enforcement, M&A disputes, or adjacent practice areas
• BD leaders who had introduced more structured, data led, or innovative approaches to client development

Rather than relying on active applicants, we used a market led search strategy to identify passive candidates with the right blend of litigation exposure, Chambers credibility, commercial judgement, and stakeholder influence.

3. Candidate engagement

The audience for this search was senior, specialist, and largely passive.

Our outreach was discreet and tailored, positioning the opportunity around:

• The strength and ambition of the firm
• The chance to influence litigation growth in New York
• The visibility of the role with the CMO, Global Litigation Director, and partners
• The opportunity to shape reputation across premium litigation markets
• The scope to bring more innovative, data-informed BD into a high-profile practice

The messaging was designed to be consultative and credible, rather than transactional.

4. Shortlisting and assessment

We assessed candidates against the full brief, not simply their job titles.

Key assessment areas included:

• Depth of litigation business development experience
• Chambers and legal directory expertise
• Partner influence and senior stakeholder management
• Understanding of the New York litigation market
• Evidence of commercial impact
• Use of data, insight, and structured BD methods
• Communication style and executive presence
• Motivation and long term fit

This allowed us to deliver a focused shortlist of candidates who were technically relevant, commercially credible, and aligned to the firm’s ambitions.

5. Process management

Throughout the search, Opus worked as an extension of the client team.

We provided regular market feedback, refined the target list as the search developed, managed candidate communication, and maintained momentum across a senior stakeholder group.

This ensured the process stayed focused, well informed, and aligned with the firm’s expectations at every stage.

The Opus difference

For this assignment, our value came from combining executive search discipline with practical market execution.

We brought:

• A bespoke search strategy for the New York litigation market
• Direct partnership with the CMO, Global Litigation Director, and partners
• Targeted access to passive senior BD talent
• Specific calibration around Chambers, rankings, litigation reputation, and market positioning
• Data-informed market mapping and candidate benchmarking
• Careful candidate briefing and process management
• Credible representation of a high-profile global law firm brand

Outcome

Opus delivered a focused exclusive search process for a strategically important Associate Director of Securities and Commercial Litigation hire in New York.

The search gave the client clear visibility of the relevant talent market and supported their ambition to strengthen reputation, partner led client development, Chambers visibility, and commercial growth across Securities Litigation, M&A Litigation, and Commercial Litigation.

Looking to hire senior legal business development talent in New York?

Opus Resourcing supports clients across executive, commercial, and specialist search mandates in the UK, Europe, and the US.

Whether you are hiring for legal business development, revenue leadership, commercial strategy, or executive appointments, we can help you identify, engage, and secure high-calibre talent in competitive markets.

Please get in touch with James Shenton at Opus Resourcing to discuss your hiring needs and future growth plans.