Emily Tomlinson

In August 2021, I received a cryptically worded email from my practice group head requesting a call that afternoon. After spending my day trying to figure out what I had done wrong, we finally connected, and he presented me with an unexpected opportunity—a six-month secondment with a client, Vitol Inc. I had always been interested in a secondment, and a potential move in-house, but was surprised by his offer. I had never worked for Vitol and did not have a background in commodity trading. Nonetheless, I was excited to learn more, and a few days later interviewed with Vitol’s general counsel, Ernie Kohnke.

After meeting Ernie and the other attorneys in the legal group, they extended me an offer to join their team. On the one hand, I would be returning to the office five days a week after over a year working from home, and I was not sure what to make of sitting on a trade floor. On the other, Vitol is quite possibly the most interesting and dynamic company you have never heard of that deals with complex legal issues and sophisticated clients.

Ultimately, it was an easy “yes,” and I started two weeks later. During my secondment, I felt fully integrated into the team. I enjoyed the fast pace and the variety of work. While I did not have a substantive background in much of what I reviewed and