Legal team size: 30

Major legal advisers: Baker Botts, Hogan Lovells, AZA, Schjodt, Homburger, Morgan Lewis

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

To borrow a military term, I “embrace the suck.” What we do is incredibly challenging, and for all the highs (deals, courtroom victories, projects completed, etc.) there are inevitable lows, so it’s best not only to get over it but to embrace it. A crisis can be a comfort zone; there’s no time for wistful reminiscing about when times were easier. Transocean was on the brink of bankruptcy in the fall of 2020, at risk of being de-listed. We fought our way back and have built a thriving business.

In terms of legal’s strategy, it’s fits thematically with the company’s strategy. Our roles are different, but they’re oriented toward the same outcomes: optimizing our contracts, protecting our people and the environment, innovation, and cost control.

In your opinion, what are the main trends affecting your work now?

The “make or buy” analysis is getting more pressure, with increases in the hourly rates of our outside counsel. More fundamentally, opposition to hydrocarbons is incredibly challenging; the world runs on oil and gas, yet the popularity of the products is at an all-time low. Politically, we’re finding new ways to make a case for what we do.

What strategic priorities are guiding your legal team into 2025?

We’re constantly innovating to keep up with our internal clients – faster, simpler, more efficient, more integrated into what our clients do every day.