Li Y. Moneypenny

In 2020, Shell afforded me a three-month reverse secondment opportunity at Reed Smith’s Houston office, where I expanded my legal skills by supporting a range of major construction projects in the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources group. I spent much of my time working with Antoine Smiley, supporting pre-litigation claims and disputes under construction agreements. This work included exposure to arbitrations, where I prepared analysis on potential defenses for contractor claims regarding topics on which I have regularly negotiated the counterargument for Shell. Having to stand in the shoes of a potential counterparty helped me understand their drivers (for example, why the variation provisions are so important to contractors). As a transactional attorney, this first-hand claims experience has enabled me to better advise my business partners on risk management and the areas of the contract to focus on. This experience also provided a deeper understanding of key jurisdictional differences and taught me to look at issues negotiated, I found the other attorneys and my clients always welcomed questions and were often excited to talk about what they were working on.

From a business development perspective, it was incredibly helpful to understand a client’s needs from the client perspective. Surprisingly, it was often those junior associate skills that made all the difference—double- and triple-checking for typos, promptly responding to emails, even if just to acknowledge receipt, and delivering work product when promised.

A few months after my secondment concluded, I received a call from Ernie asking if I would come in for a meeting. He was looking for a lawyer to join full time, and my six-month secondment now looked, in many respects, like a six-month interview. It was another enthusiastic “yes!” through a different lens.

Emily Tomlinson is corporate counsel with Vitol Inc. Prior to joining Vitol, Emily was an associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston.

All in all, this experience not only broadened my expertise in construction law, but also provided insight into the relationship and expertise of one of Shell’s panel firms. I was also able to observe how the firm responded to COVID-19 and approached virtual working. Having completed this reverse secondment, I see myself as a more well-rounded lawyer, especially since I started my legal career at Shell and have not witnessed how things are done elsewhere. I am grateful to both Shell and Reed Smith for providing me with this unique opportunity.

By MaDison guerinot