About

When the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe first hit BP in 2010, it was impossible to predict the breadth of issues that would befall the company. Fortunately, John Lynch had the foresight to recognize that the usual methods for instructing outside counsel would not suffice. So he put together a “virtual law firm” in conjunction with his UK counterpart, to piece together the very best that the legal market had to offer. The US lineup included litigation giant Kirkland & Ellis, environmental experts Arnold & Porter and WilmerHale, known for its political clout. He also hired a number of local firms. Despite the unavoidable obstacles, Lynch has been lauded for his efforts in minimizing the company’s exposure and boosting team morale – both from inside and outside counsel.