Debt Finance BD Lead (Lender Side) – London

A&O Shearman are recruiting a BD Manager to support our Debt Finance practice in London.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

Our Debt Finance practice is a cornerstone of the firm’s global offering, consistently delivering outstanding results that reinforce our reputation as a market leader for finance more broadly. In London, where the Debt Finance team is ranked in the top tier by the most influential legal directories and is consistently #1 in the deal league tables, we handle a greater volume of complex transactions than any of our competitors, combining technical excellence with commercial insight to deliver seamless execution on a wide range of matters.

Trusted by premier investment and commercial banks, direct lenders, alternative capital providers, investment funds, multinational corporates and leading financial sponsors, our lawyers advise on the full spectrum of debt financing products. Our capabilities encompass senior, asset-based, second-lien, mezzanine, bridge, unitranche, recurring-revenue and PIK facilities within both the syndicated and private credit markets, alongside bank/bond structures, high-yield offerings, infrastructure lending, debtor-in-possession and exit financings, special-situations lending, restructurings and workouts across domestic and cross-border mandates.

The London Debt Finance group comprises 25 partners – 19 of whom are dedicated to lender-side work across a number of debt products (6 are focused on sponsor side leveraged finance) – supported by a deep bench of associates. A steady flow of high-value instructions from blue-chip clients and an ever-expanding international footprint create a dynamic environment in which first-rate business development support is integral to the success of the practice.

ROLE PURPOSE

This role leads business development support for the lender side of our Debt Finance practice (19 partners), and supports and supervises business development (led by a colleague) for the fund finance and trade & commodity finance (TCF) product lines. Its aim is to design and drive initiatives to deepen client relationships, expand wallet share with existing sponsors and their designated lenders/bond underwriters, generate new mandates from target arranger, underwriter and direct-lending institutions, and enhance the firm’s market profile in the leveraged finance, fund finance and TCF markets. The role holder should have a good understanding of the market, the products and the clients in these spaces, and be a credible voice both internally and externally.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategy and planning
  • Work closely with the partners and other team members to design and implement the business development strategy for the lender side leveraged finance practice.
  • Play a key influencing role in partner meetings, bring ideas forward and implement and execute projects.
  • Support and supervise business development activity in relation to the fund finance and TCF product lines.
  • Liaise with the business development manager responsible for the sponsor side of the practice and act as a conduit for sharing information and facilitating coordinated strategy across the two sides of the Debt Finance practice where appropriate.
• Client relationship management
  • Assist partners and other team members in coordinating client targeting efforts including by coordinating relationship teams within debt finance made up of partners and associates and convening and leading in client focussed team meetings.
  • Client relationship management responsibility for a small number of private credit clients and/or designating financial sponsors, working on specific client tactics for those clients, including for example secondee debriefs, client listening processes and the follow up from them, presentations and training, etc.
  • Develop knowledge of the key existing and prospective clients. Ensure regular sharing of information on client activities.
  • Liaise with the business development manager responsible for the sponsor side of the practice in order to stay informed and facilitate any joint opportunities for engagement.
• Market, product and client research
  • Oversee a flow of market, product and client intelligence (e.g. pipeline deals, marquee deals, major players, market shares, key client contact moves and developments) to partners and associates. Work with the research team on regular market overview output.
  • Monitor BD diary to identify upcoming client meetings and ensure partners are briefed before those meetings.
• Events and hospitality
  • Lead the strategy for identifying campaigns, events, and hospitality initiatives to raise the firm’s profile and deepen client engagement within the leveraged finance market, working with the relevant central teams as appropriate.
  • Lead the strategy for identifying appropriate targeted event sponsorships.
  • Advise on best use of hospitality opportunities and monitor marketing budget spend, liaise with leadership team re authorisation of significant spend.
  • Track marketing spend against clients and individuals/teams within clients to ensure activities are aligned with overall strategic priorities.
  • Establish clear objectives and measurement frameworks for all campaigns, events and sponsorships to assess effectiveness, pipeline impact, and brand enhancement, integrating lessons learned into future activities.
• Campaigns and profile raising
  • Work with fee earners and the knowledge team to develop and execute BD campaigns and content to raise awareness of our offering and USPs. Liaise with the communications/PR team to develop a stronger external profile for the team (including for example through deal announcements and thought leadership pieces).
  • Coordinate attendance at and contributions to key industry events, conferences, and seminars, ensuring active participation and visibility for partners and subject matter experts.
  • Attend where appropriate industry events to build knowledge and market credibility.
  • Manage the process of collating and submitting entries for various league tables, along with the responsible partner, and ensure captured deal information is fed back into the team’s internal deal information systems.
• Proposals and Pitches
  • Personal responsibility for preparing proposals, pitch presentations and credentials statements for London lender/bond underwriter side leveraged finance practice (either directly or via oversight of a BD assistant).
  • Input into documents prepared by other practice groups and offices requiring the relevant product expertise. Capture proposal outcomes and prompt fee earners to act upon feedback.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Relevant marketing or BD experience in professional services environment.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for, and understanding of, leveraged finance, high yield and other debt finance products (initial product awareness training will be available).
• Relevant experience performing at manager level or above.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Proactive, creative, tenacious and resilient; adopts a growth mindset and encourages others to do the same.
• High attention to detail and strong client focus.
• Ability to meet deadlines, juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure. Accountable and able to move projects forward independently whilst keeping stakeholders informed of status/progress.
• Capacity to anticipate workload, balance conflicting priorities and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Professional, proactive, inclusive, good-humoured and enthusiastic approach to all work and interactions.
• Occasional travel may be required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

BENEFITS

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

Hybrid working

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.