Marketing Recruitment
We specialise in Marketing recruitment for the legal industry, connecting leading law firms with strategic legal marketing professionals.
Marketing Recruitment for International Law Firms in the Middle East
Marketing in a law firm is rarely a straightforward discipline, and in the Middle East it is even less so. In most international law firms across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, marketing does not sit in a silo. It sits alongside business development, and often the two functions are held by the same person. The individual you hire needs to understand both worlds: the creative and the commercial, the content and the client relationship, the brand and the pitch.
Finding someone who genuinely spans that remit, and who can operate effectively within the specific culture of an international law firm in the region, takes a recruiter who understands how these firms actually work. Barratt Galvin has been placing marketing and BD professionals into international law firms across the Middle East since 2007, and that experience shapes every search we run.
Why Barratt Galvin for Marketing Recruitment
Marketing and Business Development recruitment in international law firms is not a discipline we have recently come to understand. Over nearly two decades, we have built and supported BD and marketing teams at some of the region's most respected law firms.
At one leading international law firm, we placed their entire BD and marketing team across multiple briefs, placing the coordinator, advisor and manager. This client's choice to work with Barratt Galvin exclusively meant we built a detailed picture of their culture, work rhythms and team dynamics, making each successive placement sharper and more precise than the last.
We understand that no two firms structure their marketing function in the same way. In larger offices, you may have the luxury of separate BD and marketing headcount. In smaller offices, which describes the majority of international law firm presences in the Middle East, one person often carries the entire remit, supported at times by a central team based in the UK, Europe or another hub office. We know how to find the right person for all environments.
Every candidate we present comes with a thorough brief covering background, the breadth of their marketing and BD experience, working style and our honest assessment of fit. We do not send high-volume CVs and leave you to sort through them. We do the work, take the screening load off your desk and stand behind every recommendation we make.
Marketing Roles We Recruit For
What We Recruit
We recruit across the full range of marketing roles for international law firms, including:
Marketing Assistant
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Executive
Marketing Advisor
Marketing Manager
BD and Marketing Manager
Senior Marketing Manager
Head of Marketing
We also recruit for combined BD and Marketing roles, which reflect the reality of how most international law firms in the Middle East structure their teams. If your role spans both functions, we are well placed to find you someone who genuinely covers both.
What We Recruit
Marketing Roles We Recruit For
We recruit across the full range of marketing roles for international law firms, including:
- Marketing Assistant
- Marketing Coordinator
- Marketing Executive
- Marketing Advisor
- Marketing Manager
- BD and Marketing Manager
- Senior Marketing Manager
- Head of Marketing
We also recruit for combined BD and Marketing roles, which reflect the reality of how most international law firms in the Middle East structure their teams. If your role spans both functions, we are well placed to find you someone who genuinely covers both.
What We Look for in a Legal Marketing Professional
The marketing professionals who succeed in international law firms are versatile, commercially aware and genuinely comfortable in a fast-moving, partner-led environment. They understand that their output reflects directly on the firm's reputation, whether that is a pitch document, a directory submission, a partner bio or a social media post, and they hold themselves to a high standard across all of it.
At coordinator and assistant level, we look for people who are organised, detail-oriented and proactive. They need to be comfortable managing multiple workstreams at once, from maintaining the firm's website and drafting lawyer bios to coordinating events and managing submissions to directories such as Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
At manager level and above, we expect a broader strategic perspective alongside executional capability. These candidates need to understand the BD context their marketing sits within, be confident advising partners and, in many cases, be comfortable operating as a team of one with the support of a central function elsewhere in the firm. That takes a particular kind of professional: resourceful, self-directed and highly competent across a wide range of skills.
Across all levels, experience within a law firm or professional services environment is important. It tells us a candidate already understands the dynamics of a partnership structure and the standards international firms expect.
Where We Place Marketing Professionals
We recruit marketing professionals for international law firms across the Middle East, with particular depth in:
- Dubai, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
- Abu Dhabi, including Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
- Riyadh
- Doha
We also support firms with marketing hiring in Australia and London, and can assist with multi-market searches where your marketing function spans more than one office.
Access to the Right Marketing Talent
We maintain an active network of marketing professionals with genuine international law firm experience. A strong proportion of our candidate pool is already based in the Middle East, meaning faster placement timelines and candidates who already understand the culture, pace and expectations of the region.
Where a role is best filled through international sourcing, we give you a candid picture of what that process involves: realistic timelines, what to expect from incoming candidates and how to set the engagement up for success from day one.
For candidates relocating to the region, our support extends well beyond the placement itself. We help new arrivals get settled, share accommodation advice, make introductions based on what we know about both parties and point them toward communities that will help them feel at home quickly. A settled candidate performs better and stays longer, and that is good for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to hire a marketing specialist or someone with a combined BD and Marketing background?
For most international law firms in the Middle East, a combined BD and Marketing professional is the more practical and effective choice. Offices in the region tend to be leaner than their London or US counterparts, and the remit typically spans both functions. A pure marketing specialist can work well in larger offices with dedicated BD headcount, but in most cases you want someone who understands both the commercial and creative sides of the role. We will always help you think through what the brief should actually look like before you go to market.
Do your marketing candidates have experience with legal directory submissions and rankings?
Yes. Many of the marketing professionals in our network have hands-on experience managing submissions to Legal 500, Chambers and Partners and similar legal rankings and awards platforms. This is increasingly a core part of the marketing remit at international law firms in the Middle East, and we factor it into our screening conversations as standard.
My firm has a central marketing team in London or Europe. Can you find someone to work effectively alongside them?
Absolutely. This is one of the most common briefs we receive. Many international law firms in the Middle East run a lean local team supported by a central function based elsewhere. We look specifically for candidates who are comfortable working autonomously, managing their own priorities and collaborating effectively with a remote team. It is a particular skill set and one we know how to identify.
Can you source marketing candidates from outside the UAE?
Yes, and we do so regularly. Our networks span Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and the broader Asia Pacific region. Marketing professionals with legal sector experience who are open to the Middle East are a specific talent pool we know well. We will always be upfront about timelines and what international sourcing realistically involves.
Do you offer a warranty period on marketing placements?
Yes. All placements made by Barratt Galvin come with a warranty period. If a placed candidate leaves or does not work out within that time, we will work to find a suitable replacement. Get in touch to discuss the specific terms.
Get in Touch
Whether you have a vacancy to fill today or are simply thinking ahead, we would love to have a conversation. After nearly two decades in this market, we have a great deal to share and are always happy to talk through what we are seeing, what talent is available and what a search like yours would realistically involve.
You can also submit your vacancy directly via the Submit a Vacancy form on our website.
