Senior Business Director

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP (www.manatt.com) is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for its quality and extraordinary commitment to clients. The Firm’s groundbreaking hybrid approach brings together under one roof legal services, advocacy, and business strategy. Our multidisciplinary teams collaborate across market-leading practices in health care, financial services, entertainment, digital & technology, and energy, environmental and real estate, tackling complex business challenges with a unique blend of policy insight, legal excellence, and commercial acumen. The firm has eleven offices across the United States, including over 500 attorneys and consulting professionals and more than 350 business and administrative professionals.

Opportunity:

Manatt is seeking a strategic and operationally focused Senior Business Director who will be a senior leader in the Firm. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Client Development and Marketing Officer, the Senior Business Director will play a pivotal role in driving the business performance, strategic initiatives, and operational excellence of the firm’s practice groups. This role will oversee a team of 3–4 business directors and senior managers and will serve as a key liaison between practice leadership and core business functions including Finance/Practice Analytics, Client and Business Development, Strategic Growth (Talent Acquisition) and Professional Development.

This is a high-impact leadership position designed to ensure the effective management and growth of our practice/business units. The role encompasses a broad range of practice management responsibilities, including strategic planning, business operations, lateral integration, and cross-functional coordination.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Practice Group Oversight

• Serve as the senior business lead for assigned practice groups, ensuring alignment with firm-wide strategic goals and operational priorities.

• Partner with practice group leaders to develop and execute strategic business plans, monitor progress, and ensure initiatives are aligned with long-term goals.

• Ensure the buisness unit is managed to produce profitable revenue growth through the integration of staffing, pricing and service delivery, while ensuring exceptional client service.

• Lead and manage a team of business directors and senior managers supporting individual practice groups.

• Facilitate cross-practice collaboration and knowledge sharing across departments.

• Provide strategic analysis and recommendations to practice leadership on business performance, growth opportunities, and operational effectiveness.

Lateral Professional Integration

• Lead the business integration of lateral professionals, ensuring timely and accurate completion of the Lateral Professional Questionnaire (LPQ).

• Coordinate meetings, introductions, and strategic planning to support the successful onboarding and business development of lateral hires.

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Lateral Integration team and practice leadership to oversee and follow up on the end‑to‑end integration of lateral hires, ensuring a high‑touch, experience that supports connectivity, visibility, mentorship, and cross‑practice collaboration across the firm.

• Oversee and coordinate orientation and continuity support for lateral hires, proactively ensuring access to essential resources, key relationships, and business tools throughout the integration lifecycle.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a central liaison between practice groups and firm departments—including Finance/Practice Analytics, Client and Business Development, Strategic Growth (Talent Acquisition), Professional Development.

• Facilitate requests and deliverables between practice groups and business services teams to ensure operational excellence.

• Support the development and execution of business plans, marketing strategies, and client development initiatives in partnership with relevant teams.

• Collaborate with internal departments to resolve operational challenges and implement best practices.

Project Management & Operational Excellence

• Drive execution of key practice group initiatives, ensuring timely delivery and measurable outcomes.

• Research, identify, and implement opportunities to improve practice group operations, leveraging internal and external resources.

• Actively investigate and recommend practice technologies and