Business Development Manager - Emerging Companies and Venture Capital

WilmerHale•Palo Alto, CA

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

WilmerHale is seeking a Business Development Manager to identify and support revenue-generating opportunities for its emerging company and venture capital practice. The Manager develops relationships with founders, startups, university and accelerator contacts, technology industry groups, venture and seed investors, and other service providers. The position educates the market about the firm’s lawyers, services, and value proposition, with a primary focus on the Bay Area and additional efforts in Boston, New York, and nationally. The role requires weekly presence in both the Palo Alto and San Francisco offices. Working with the Director of Business Development for the Transactional Department and the Transactional Clients & Markets team, the Manager provides strategic guidance and leads practice group business development and marketing projects. These include implementing business development activities, responding to pitches and RFPs, managing events, developing thought leadership and social media, increasing attorney visibility, and maintaining marketing infrastructure. The Manager also provides market updates and recommendations to lawyers and supports initiatives that strengthen client portfolios and grow market share. The position calls for professionalism, clear expectations, high-quality service, and a positive, solution-oriented approach. The Manager models courteous communication and supports internal departments, clients, and vendors effectively.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least three years of experience in venture capital, accelerator or incubator program management, or business development at a mature startup or startup-focused professional services firm.
Deep understanding of startup culture and ability to provide strategic guidance to founders and entrepreneurs.
Ability to support business development across multiple transactional practice groups and align work with firm-wide goals.
Knowledge of the venture capital industry, technology sectors, fundraising trends, and business models.
Knowledge of transactional practices, including M&A, private equity, and capital markets.
Familiarity with and existing relationships in the Bay Area startup ecosystem.
Networking, relationship-building, and connection-making skills across a broad range of constituents.
Ability to work independently as a motivated self-starter while securing buy-in and engaging decision-makers when needed.
Excellent written, presentation, and oral communication skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with high expectations for attention to detail and quality.
Willingness to adapt to technological change, including generative AI, by developing comfort with new tools and adapting work practices to support efficiency and innovation.

Nice To Haves

Eight or more years of experience in a legal, technology, management, or market analysis environment is preferred.
Experience with a CRM system, Salesforce, or other pipeline management tools is preferable.

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and build relationships with industry groups, accelerators, and university programs that may connect emerging companies with the firm’s legal services.
Visit universities and startup venues to develop long-term relationships and referral sources.
Attend key events; assess sponsorship opportunities; and host events in firm offices or virtually to build visibility, network, and gather market intelligence.
Maintain CRM records of activity and communications, and identify internal connections among contacts.
Research prospective clients, investors, industry sectors, and market trends, and share findings with internal audiences.
Screen prospective clients for their needs and fit with QuickLaunch or general firm criteria, and facilitate introductions to lawyers, investors, and service providers.
Offer guidance to selected clients and contacts regarding business plans, capital raising, and competitive landscapes.
Map and develop relationships with venture capitalists and early-stage investors; track personnel moves and referrals; and recommend tactics to address relationship gaps.
Meet with partners to report progress, share leads and referrals, present opportunities, prompt follow-up, and receive feedback.
Secure speaking engagements and other opportunities for lawyers to build profiles with target audiences.
Create and promote presentations, blog posts, event materials, and other marketing content.
Develop the QuickLaunch platform, WilmerHale Launch website, and related marketing and social media efforts.
Report deal activity for league tables such as PitchBook and promote rankings, awards, and other recognition.
Contribute to legal directory submissions and award nominations.
Maintain a detailed understanding of firm capabilities, experience, differentiators, and competitors.
Track and analyze business development metrics and provide monthly and quarterly progress reports to partners.
Work with practice groups to implement projects and initiatives supporting business development goals.
Develop pitches and presentations that address companies’ specific needs, drawing on the firm’s experience and industry knowledge.
Coordinate updates to web and print marketing collateral, including practice group descriptions, matter and case lists, and biographies.
Lead aspects of lateral partner onboarding and practice group strategic planning.
Collaborate with colleagues to support service excellence and complete special projects requested by the Business Development leadership team.