Business Development Associate

Job Summary:

Arbitration Place is a leading provider of hearing facilities, court reporting, transcription and virtual hearing services, with nearly 30 years of experience supporting arbitrations, mediations, litigation and public inquiries across Canada and internationally, including the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The Business Development Associate is a front-line, revenue-generating role focused on growing Arbitration Place’s client base. The Associate will generate new leads, respond to and convert warm leads, and create new business opportunities across Canada, while supporting business development and lead generation in key international markets including the United States and Europe.

This role is outreach-driven: the Associate will be in consistent contact with new and existing clients - law firms, in-house legal teams, arbitrators, mediators and institutions - building relationships that lead directly to bookings and repeat business. The successful candidate will also be given the opportunity, and is expected, to identify and propose new ways to create additional business. This is an ideal role for a self-motivated professional who wants to be part of a dynamic organization and grow with the company.

Key Accountabilities

Tasks or Duties for Each Key Accountability

1. New Lead Generation & Prospecting

·   Proactively identify and research prospective clients, including litigation and arbitration practice groups, boutique firms, in-house legal departments and ADR practitioners.

·   Conduct consistent daily outreach by phone, email, LinkedIn and in person to introduce Arbitration Place’s services and secure introductory meetings.

·   Build and maintain targeted prospect lists by market, practice area and firm size.

·   Attend legal industry events, conferences and networking functions to generate new contacts.

2. Warm Lead Response & Conversion

·   Respond promptly to inbound enquiries, referrals and warm leads, and qualify client needs.

·   Coordinate with Operations, Scheduling and Court Reporting teams to prepare quotes, proposals and service packages.

·   Follow up persistently to convert opportunities into confirmed bookings.

·   Track every lead and opportunity through to close in the CRM.

3. Client Relationship Development

·   Maintain regular, ongoing contact with existing clients to strengthen relationships and drive repeat and expanded business.

·   Identify cross-selling opportunities across hearing facilities, court reporting, transcription and virtual hearing services.

·   Gather client feedback and share insights with management to improve service and retention.

·   Act as a trusted, responsive point of contact for assigned accounts.

4. Canadian Market Growth

·   Develop new business opportunities across Canadian markets, with a focus on the Toronto legal community and expansion into other regions.

·   Support targeted campaigns aimed at specific practice areas, firms and sectors.

·   Monitor market activity, competitor offerings and industry trends to identify openings.

5. International Business Development Support

·   Assist in lead generation and outreach in international markets, including the United States and Europe.

·   Support international client meetings, conferences and partnership initiatives.

·   Research cross-border arbitration and litigation activity to identify prospective clients and referral sources.

·   Coordinate with internal teams and partners to support clients holding hearings across jurisdictions.

6. Opportunity Creation & Growth Initiatives

·   Take initiative to identify and propose new business opportunities, partnerships, referral channels and service offerings.

·   Contribute ideas to marketing campaigns, client events and outreach materials.

·   Present opportunities and results to management, demonstrating measurable impact on growth.

7. Reporting & Pipeline Management

·   Keep CRM records accurate and current, including contacts, activities, opportunities and outcomes.

·   Prepare weekly activity and pipeline reports for management.

·   Meet or exceed outreach, meeting and revenue targets set by management.

Performance Metrics

Financial:

·   New revenue generated from new clients

·   Growth in revenue from existing clients

·   Value of qualified sales pipeline

·   Lead-to-booking conversion rate

·   Revenue from US and international markets

Non-financial:

·   Weekly outreach activity (calls, emails, meetings)

·   Number of new client meetings and introductions secured

·   Number of new accounts opened

·   Response time to warm leads and enquiries

·   CRM accuracy and timeliness of reporting

·   New opportunities, partnerships or initiatives proposed and implemented

·   Client satisfaction and retention

Communication

Contacts / Stakeholders

Purpose and Frequency

Prospective clients (law firms, in-house counsel, arbitrators, mediators)

Introduce services, qualify needs and secure meetings - daily

Existing clients

Relationship management, repeat business and cross-selling - daily / weekly

Director, Business Development and senior leadership

Pipeline reviews, targets, strategy and reporting - weekly

Operations, Scheduling and Court Reporting teams

Quotes, availability, booking handover and client service - daily

Marketing

Campaigns, client materials and event planning - as required

International partners and institutions

Lead sharing, referrals and joint initiatives - as required

Educational Requirements

· Bachelor’s degree or college diploma in Business, Marketing, Communications, Legal Studies or a related field.

· Law Clerk or Paralegal diploma, or other legal-industry training, considered an asset.

· Formal sales or business development training considered an asset.

Work Experience

· 2–4 years of experience in business development, sales, account management or client relations, preferably in a B2B professional services environment.

· Legal industry experience strongly preferred (e.g., law firm, legal services, court reporting, legal technology or ADR).

· Demonstrated track record of generating new business, converting leads and meeting or exceeding targets.

· Experience using a CRM to manage pipeline and client activity.

· Exposure to US, European or other international markets considered an asset.

Skills

· Highly self-motivated, with the drive to work independently and consistently generate outreach without close supervision.

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills; confident on the phone, by email and in person.

· Strong relationship-building and networking skills with legal professionals at all levels.

· Persistent and resilient in follow-up, with a results-oriented mindset.

· Entrepreneurial and creative in identifying new opportunities and proposing ideas.

· Strong organizational and time-management skills; able to manage multiple leads and priorities.

· Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRM platforms; comfortable with LinkedIn for prospecting.

· Professional, polished and client-focused presence; French or other languages an asset.

Working Conditions

· This is a fully in-office role at Arbitration Place’s Toronto office; attendance in the office is required every working day.

· Fast-paced, dynamic and growing organization; the role will evolve as the company expands.

· Occasional travel within Canada and internationally (including the United States and Europe) for client meetings, conferences and events.

· Occasional early-morning or evening work to accommodate international time zones and industry events.

· Primarily office-based work involving extended computer and telephone use.