Education: 1982: J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School; 1979: B.A., Marquette University.

Brief Career to Date: 1991–present: BP America Inc. (2008–present: Associate General Counsel, Global Litigation; pre-2008: served in various capacities in the BP legal department, including leading the legal team providing commercial legal advice to BP’s downstream businesses in the Western Hemisphere and the legal team providing specialized environment, health and safety advice in the Americas); 1984–1991: Mayer, Brown & Platt, Litigation Associate; 1982–1984: US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Judicial Clerk to the Honorable John W. Reynolds, Chief Judge.

Location of Company HQ: London, UK.

Primary Industry Sector: Major Integrated Oil & Gas.

Revenues in the Last Financial Year: $376 billion.

Number of Employees Worldwide: 83,400.

Law Department Locations: BP has more than 600 lawyers located across the following regions: Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and South Asia.

What is the total number of lawyers in the company worldwide, and how many focus on litigation? BP employs more than 600 lawyers worldwide. Our 44-person global litigation team has 23 full-time litigation lawyers.

Where does litigation fall within the organizational structure? BP’s litigation practice is organized as a global specialty function based in two hubs, Houston and London. The team manages significant US and international dispute risk on a centralized basis, regardless of where those disputes arise. The team reports to our chief legal officer (the Group General Counsel) through the Deputy Group General Counsel, who also serves as our US General Counsel.

Have any recent legal developments changed the way your department operates? Not surprisingly, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill changed the complexion of the company and its legal function. A separate business organization called the Gulf Coast Restoration Organization (GCRO), with dedicated legal support, was created to respond to this crisis. Other businesses were restructured and support functions created, requiring alignment of the legal function to meet those new business needs.

What is keeping your department’s lawyers the busiest at the moment? Besides the extraordinary Deepwater Horizon litigation, the recent global economic recession produced an uptick in commercial disputes with business counterparties that our litigation team continues to address.

How typical or unique is the scope of responsibilities for the company’s litigation lawyers? Our litigation specialists manage significant disputes worldwide, including a significant portfolio of long-tail divested business litigation. We manage these risks from cradle to grave, working closely with our commercial lawyer colleagues. We are very involved in reporting and establishing provisions for these legal liabilities, and we play a key role in responding to operating business catastrophes that produce litigation. Housed within our litigation team is our centralized e-discovery team, which operates our standardized systems for preserving, collecting, hosting, searching and producing electronic evidence. We routinely advise on legal privilege and dispute prevention issues. All of this makes for a diverse and exciting practice.

What types of issues will cause you to turn to outside litigation counsel? I turn to external counsel for top-quality trial capability. BP has a docket of very high-consequence litigation that we often cannot resolve without the assistance of a neutral intermediary.

What three things does a law firm need to do to impress you? Presently, I am focused on reinforcing the following three priorities for our law firms: a demonstrable commitment to staffing BP matters with more women and lawyers of color in leadership positions; a genuine desire to build a long-term relationship with BP based on principles of trust and mutual advantage; and a record of sustained litigation performance that exceeds our expectations. Of course, I also would not mind lower pricing.

Can you describe the career path that led you to become an in-house litigation counsel? I decided to become a lawyer in 11th grade after participating in a school mock trial. I was only the second person in my family to go to college. After clerking for a federal judge and doing complex commercial trial work for large corporations, I became an in-house litigation lawyer when a large Chicago oil company decided to take a more active role in managing its disputes internally. I saw that as my chance to influence important strategic decision-making from the inside. Over time, I took on leadership roles, heading teams of lawyers and managing various aspects of the legal department.

If not a lawyer what would you be? Golf instructor or baseball general manager.

What one piece of advice would you give to prospective in-house litigation counsel? The better you know the business, the more effective you will be as an in-house lawyer. As an in-house litigator, your primary mission is not only to manage the dispute, but also to help your company achieve its business purpose. You must understand your client’s objectives thoroughly.