At Opus Resourcing, we specialise in recruiting Senior Business Development, Marketing, and Practice Management talent for Global Law Firms and US Big Law firms in London, New York and across the US.
Opus Resourcing works with leading law firms to recruit marketing & business development professionals who can operate at the intersection of legal expertise, client strategy, and revenue growth.
The ability of partners to originate work, maintain trusted client relationships, and expand those relationships over time has long been the foundation of success in Big Law, particularly in markets such as New York, where competition for high-value mandates is intense.
But that model is evolving.
Today, the most successful law firms are no longer relying on relationships alone. They are combining partner networks with data, market intelligence, and increasingly AI-driven technology to build more scalable and proactive approaches to client development.
This shift marks a fundamental change in how law firms compete and how they grow.
We work particularly closely with law firms in London, New York, California and Chicago, seeking leadership talent across key practices such as:
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Managing Consultant
James Shenton is Co founder and Managing Consultant at Opus Resourcing, bringing over 30 years of experience delivering executive search and specialist recruitment across technology and commercial go to market functions for technology companies and Global Law Firms & US Big Law firms. Known for his consultative and data led approach, James operates at the intersection of technology, commercial strategy, and leadership hiring.
Strategic Advisor - US Legal Search
Lacie Marshall is the Founder and CEO of Onward Recruiting, with over two decades of experience building high-performing legal teams for law firms and legal departments across the US. In partnership with Opus Resourcing, Lacie provides an insider’s perspective on legal talent strategy, helping firms move beyond transactional hiring toward strategic, data-informed, and future-ready workforce planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a legal business development recruiter do?
A legal business development recruiter specialises in placing professionals who drive client growth, revenue strategy, and market positioning within law firms.
This includes roles such as:
At Opus Resourcing, we focus on senior hires within Big Law firms in New York and across the US, supporting partners and firm leadership in building high-performing commercial teams.
While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, business development and marketing perform distinct but complementary roles within law firms, particularly in large global practices.
Marketing is primarily focused on building the firm’s profile and supporting visibility in the market. This includes:
The goal of marketing is to ensure the firm and its lawyers are visible, credible, and well-positioned in key markets and sectors.
Business development, by contrast, is more directly aligned to revenue generation and client growth. It typically involves:
In leading law firms, business development professionals work closely with partners and practice leaders on targeted growth initiatives, often aligned to specific sectors such as private equity, investment funds, or finance.
The distinction has become more pronounced in recent years, as firms increasingly expect business development teams to operate as strategic advisors, rather than purely support functions. This reflects the broader shift toward a more commercial, data-driven approach to growth within the legal sector.
At Opus Resourcing, we take a highly targeted, research-led approach to identifying senior business development and client strategy professionals within the legal sector, particularly across Big Law firms in New York.
These are not high-volume hiring processes. The most successful candidates are often not actively on the market, which means a traditional recruitment approach is rarely effective.
Instead, we combine several complementary strategies:
We maintain long-standing relationships with business development, marketing, and commercial leaders across Am Law firms, global law firms, and adjacent sectors such as consulting and legal technology.
This network gives us access to individuals who have already demonstrated success in partner-led environments and complex, high-performance organisations.
Many of the strongest candidates for senior BD roles are not actively applying for positions.
We proactively engage with individuals who are:
This allows us to introduce clients to talent they would not typically reach through traditional hiring channels.
For each search, we conduct detailed market mapping across target firms, including direct competitors and peer institutions.
This includes:
This approach ensures we deliver a comprehensive, highly targeted shortlist rather than relying on known or immediately available candidates.
A critical part of our approach is understanding the commercial drivers behind each role.
For example, a Director of Business Development supporting a private equity or investment funds practice requires a very different profile from someone aligned to litigation or regulatory work.
We therefore assess candidates based on their:
Beyond technical experience, we focus heavily on identifying individuals who can operate at a strategic level within a law firm.
This includes evaluating:
Law firms are investing more heavily in business development leadership as the legal market becomes more competitive, more global, and more commercially driven.
In markets such as New York, where leading firms compete for the same high-value clients and mandates, growth is no longer driven by relationships alone. Firms increasingly require structured and strategic approaches to client development and revenue generation.
Several key factors are driving this shift:
Top-tier firms are competing aggressively for a relatively concentrated pool of high-value clients, particularly across private equity, investment funds, and complex corporate transactions.
This has increased the need for dedicated professionals who can help partners differentiate, position, and win work in highly competitive environments.
The continued expansion of private equity, global capital markets, and cross-border transactions has increased the complexity of client relationships.
Firms are responding by building business development teams that can:
Revenue growth alone is no longer sufficient. Law firms are placing greater emphasis on profitability, pricing strategy, and financial performance.
This has led to the rise of specialist roles focused on:
These capabilities often sit alongside or within broader business development leadership teams.
Firms are increasingly investing in data and technology to support more informed decision making.
This includes:
Business development leaders are now expected to interpret this data and translate it into actionable growth strategies.
As a result of these changes, business development roles are evolving from traditional support functions into core strategic leadership positions.
Senior professionals are increasingly:
In leading law firms, business development is no longer just about supporting growth. It is a central part of how firms define and execute their commercial strategy.
A strong Business Development Director in a law firm sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, client relationships, and revenue growth.
At a minimum, they need deep legal sector experience, often within areas like Investment Funds, Private Equity, or Corporate, combined with the credibility to influence senior partners in a Big Law or Am Law 100 environment.
However, the profile is evolving.
The most in-demand Business Development Directors today bring:
Increasingly, firms are prioritising candidates who understand AI in the legal industry and can apply technology to improve targeting, reporting, and decision-making.
This shift is explored further in our article:
Beyond the Handshake: Why Data is the New Rainmaker in Big Law
https://www.opusresourcing.com/beyond-the-handshake-why-data-is-the-new-rainmaker-in-big-law/
In short, the strongest hires combine legal domain expertise with modern, technology-enabled commercial thinking, which is becoming essential in competitive markets like New York.
Law firms in New York and globally are increasingly asking this question as legal hiring trends shift toward innovation and growth.
Traditionally, firms have relied on lateral hiring from other Am Law 100 or Magic Circle firms, prioritising candidates with proven experience in similar partnership structures.
While this reduces risk, it can also limit progress.
Hiring Business Development leaders from outside Big Law, particularly from professional services, SaaS, or data-driven commercial environments, can introduce:
This challenge is explored further in our article:
Musical Chairs: Why Law Firms Keep Hiring the Same Marketing & BD Talent
https://www.opusresourcing.com/musical-chairs-why-law-firms-keep-hiring-the-same-marketing-bd-talent/
The key is not replacing legal expertise, but complementing it.
The most successful hires typically combine Investment Funds or legal sector knowledge with experience gained in more commercially mature or technology-enabled environments.
For firms looking to modernise their Business Development function, expanding the talent pool beyond traditional competitors is often where the highest-impact hires are found.
Why Law Firms Love Musical Chairs | How We Helped a Global Firm Break the Cycle by Recruiting Outside Legal for MarTech & AI Innovation
The landscape for legal business leadership is shifting beneath our feet. The question is no longer whether you need a BD team, but whether that team is equipped to act as a commercial engine in a market that never sleeps.
Why not contact our specialist consultants directly, we provide bespoke career advice and hiring insight every day.
+44 (0) 1580 857 179
+1 (929) 296-8275
info@opusresourcing.com