Retainers

Senior counsel,
in concentrated doses.

Retained, senior-level support for firms that want AI-enabled BD capability built deliberately over time – structured around focused working sessions and written outputs rather than days on site.

Genuinely senior advice is not measured in hours of presence. Wilson Levy's fractional model is deliberately concentrated: short, well-prepared working sessions on live commercial issues, with substantive written work delivered between them.

In practice, fractional works the same way as a fractional CFO or fractional CMO: senior-level expertise engaged on a part-time, retained basis, rather than a full-time hire or a team of account handlers. The work is done personally, by the same senior adviser throughout every engagement.

The top firms are hiring for this now – newly created senior roles dedicated to embedding AI into BD and marketing, at full-time salaries and in a talent market where credible candidates are scarce. The fractional retainer delivers the same capability to upper-mid tier firms: the seniority of that hire, in concentrated doses, without the salary, the search or the risk. It is also a different model to an agency retainer, where the named contact is rarely the person doing the work – here, they are the same person, every session. If your BD and marketing function is capable but under-supported on AI, this is built for you.

AI-Enabled BD Starter Programme

Three months. Three phases. One firm-specific playbook. Firms that begin with the Playbook Sprint enter at month two.

  • Phase 01

    AI in Pitches and Proposals

    Map the current process, define AI-assisted workflows and identify where AI delivers the most meaningful gains in time and quality. Outputs are practical and immediately usable.

  • Phase 02

    AI-Assisted BD Content

    Simple, repeatable recipes for repurposing existing material and creating new client-facing content. Built around what the team already produces, not a separate content strategy.

  • Phase 03

    Confidence and Skills

    Short, focused sessions for BD teams and partners, built around Catching Up. Designed to move people from occasional use to working habit, at a pace that fits alongside live client commitments. The Catching Up books are also available individually on Amazon – details at catchingup.wilsonlevy.net.

  • Output

    AI in BD Playbook

    A clear, firm-specific guide for ongoing use – covering workflows, content recipes and team guidance. Written for the people who will use it, not for a shelf.

Cadence

One 90-minute working session per fortnight – virtual or in person – scheduled around live commercial priorities, plus one written deliverable between sessions and asynchronous access for bounded questions.

Ongoing Advisory Retainer

A continuing, confidential advisory relationship for firms or senior leaders who want regular access to a trusted sounding board as commercial AI questions continue to emerge.

Availability

Available to a small number of firms at any one time, where there is a strong fit and sufficient capacity. Scope and frequency agreed individually, at the same fortnightly session-and-deliverable cadence.

What engagements are designed to change
  • Pitches turned around in materially less partner and BD time – without reducing quality or personalisation.
  • Client-facing content produced at two to three times the previous rate, using the same team.
  • Teams that reach consistent, independent AI use within 90 days – without ongoing dependence on external support.
  • A prioritised, firm-specific view of where AI directly supports fee growth – and where it does not belong.
  • Pitches that previously required three rounds of partner input routinely completed in one.
  • BD teams spending more time on high-value targeting and less on production work.
  • A visible, internal AI momentum that reduces pressure on BD leadership to repeatedly justify the investment.
Investment

Scoped individually based on firm size and context, and confirmed before any commitment. Availability is intentionally limited to a small number of firms at any one time. Firms that begin with the Playbook Sprint enter the Starter Programme at month two, with the Sprint fee credited in full.

Discuss the programme