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Ben Curle
Associate Director - Legal BD, Marketing & Communications - Ambition US
Roles I Recruit
Having led the team in BD & Marketing recruitment team in London, covering the UK and European markets, for the past 8 years, I changed roles in 2023 to focus exclusively on Legal BD, Marketing & Communications recruitment for the US market.
I recruit for management and leadership positions - either with a global remit or roles that are solely focused on the US market - across the following specialist areas:
Business Development.
Marketing.
Bids & Pitches.
Client Relationship & Client Development.
External Communications and Public relations.
Internal Communications.
Digital Marketing & Communications.
Events.
I work with a wide range of law firms of all sizes, from Magic Circle and Top 100 global firms to smaller boutique law firms.
I pride myself in taking an honest and consultative approach when working with both my candidates and clients. Whether you're a potential client or a BD, Marketing or Comms professional looking for a new opportunity, I’d welcome the opportunity to engage with you further and help with your recruitment needs.
My Background
I began my journey into recruitment in March 2014 and have focussed solely on professional services Business Development & Marketing recruitment for my entire career. Initially, I covered the legal, real estate and accountancy sectors.
I joined Ambition in September 2016 and since then have focussed solely on operating within the Legal BD, Marketing & Communications space. Since being with Ambition I have steadily built my career and have been promoted 3 times. A personal highlight was being Divisional Manager, where in 2022, we had our best year on record by quite some distance, it was amazing to be part of that team, working with some extremely talented colleagues and seeing all of their individual achievements.
I thoroughly enjoy working in partnership with my legal clients and truly value the longstanding relationships I have built up in the market.
Now, in my current roles as Associate Director for Ambition US, I hope to be able to continue to work with my established global network and build new and exciting relationships within the market on the other side of the pond!
Recent Placements
Examples of my recent placements include;
Head of European Business Development – Top 10 Global law firm - Paris
Head of Business Development – US law firm – London
Head of Business Development – US law firm - Paris
Business Development Manager – Top 10 US law firm – Washington DC
Business Development Manager – Top 10 US law firm – New York
Business Development Manager – Top 10 US law firm – Philadelphia
Business Development Manager – Top 10 US law firm – Washington DC
Outside of work
I enjoy socialising with friends in my spare time. I also have a keen interest in sport and fortune/misfortune of supporting my hometown football team Ipswich Town.
What candidates and clients are saying
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Ben is very personable and supportive. The first time he helped me with my job search I was feeling very negative about my prospects and I wouldn't have been very successful without his advice. Then, when I disappeared for a year and went back to my studies he stayed in touch and even though I wasn't particularly communicative he didn't abandon the relationship. When I was ready to look at the job market again, he knew exactly what I was looking for and helped me find my place once more. I recommend him highly.
Boryana Pencheva Marketing, Digital Marketing & Creative Support -
Ben was a real pleasure to work with during my recent job search and as such has placed me in a role that I am extremely happy in. He is proactive and a strong communicator, ensuring I was up to date on the progress of my applications and following up with the firms I was applying for. Ben was excellent at providing useful interview tips and sharing his invaluable experience and knowledge of working with the firm's I applied to. I would highly recommend Ben to my peers searching for a new role in professional services Business Development as his professional but personable nature make it incredibly easy to work with him.
Katie Holland Business Development RelationshipCabinet Office
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Ben was great to work with, really responsive and helpful, and he helped me secure my next role at a great law firm. Thanks Ben!
Karen Everett Client Development ManagerClyde & Co
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I worked with Ben when I was trying to re-enter the job market after some time off on a personal sabbatical. He was very attentive to my criteria and helped to line up a few very promising opportunities. He was frequently in touch about the status of the interviews and was a trusted advisor to me when trying to evaluate my options. I appreciated Ben's support. I'd work with him again, and would recommend him to any legal marketer seeing a next step in their careers.
Christopher Drinjak Senior Business Development ManagerTaylor Wessing UK
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Ben reached out when I was looking for a new job opportunity moving back to Paris. Thanks to his network the position he presented was a good match for me, international law firm which had an opened position in their Paris office. He coached me ahead of each interview, giving me a great support to prepare myself and succeed. He was also available at each steps which made me feel confident. His advice was precious and I'm really happy in my new role. Thanks Ben!
Virginie Ramel Senior Marketing and Business Development AdvisorHogan Lovells
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Ben’s really pleasant to work with. He successfully placed me in my first managerial role and was great in giving advice on how to tackle the interviews. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a position in legal BD & Marketing.
Hannah Smith Marketing and Business Development ManagerHogan Lovells
Articles by Ben Curle
What's going on with BD and Marketing Manager salaries in the legal sector?
In 2019, I published an opinion piece on “Why law firms need to increase their BD and Marketing Manager salaries.”This piece followed an analysis o...
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The latest hiring trends in Professional Services Marketing & BD - Q2 2021
As we approach the end of April and with lockdown restrictions easing, we are seeing positive trends across professional services when it comes to...
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How law firms have been communicating during the pandemic
As we all know communications and brand reputation are vital components during a time of crisis. I recently caught up with Kerry Jack, co-founder ...
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Virtual Roundtable Discussion: Senior BD, Marketing & Communications
Over the past 4 weeks of lockdown I’ve been mulling the idea of hosting some virtual roundtables for Senior BD Managers across the legal industry. ...
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Why law firms need to increase their BD and Marketing Manager salaries
As I near the sobering thought of having worked in Legal BD & Marketing recruitment for 5 years, I have been reflecting on what has changed in our ...
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How to retain your top Legal BD and Marketing talent
A lot of things have happened in recent months.England came tantalisingly close to their first World Cup final, Trump visited for a round or two of...
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Legal BD, Marketing & Communications Market Insights Q4 2018
Over the past 3 months we have continued to see job numbers increase in legal BD & Marketing, yet candidates remain in short supply, particularly f...
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Why law firms need to be flexible to attract top talent for their BD and Marketing teams
The PWC annual law firm report revealed a lot of interesting observations and statistics from the UK law firms surveyed. A key comment from PWC par...
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