In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Kathleen Bertolatus of Phillips 66 discusses the traits she seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with her and more.
Texas Lawbook: How has the role of the in-house counsel evolved over the past decade?
Kathleen Bertolatus: In the past decade, the in-house counsel role has evolved with a focus on flexibility and adaptability. As energy companies have been adapting to market realities, so too have their lawyers. In-house counsel are rolling up their sleeves and picking up new areas and building new areas of expertise, all while leveraging their insight into what drives the company and why.
Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding which outside counsel to hire?
Bertolatus: When considering which lawyers to hire, I look for deep expertise and personal experience appearing before the specific regulators we’re working with. Our in-house team is very experienced in understanding and applying environmental laws and regulations. What we benefit from most is partnering with outside counsel who have been in the trenches, in the jurisdiction, to help us analyze risk and provide advice to our internal clients.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you, and what are your pet peeves?
Bertolatus: Outside counsel should know that I love learning from their perspectives and expertise. I try to absorb and internalize as much as I can. As far as pet peeves go, I get annoyed by counsel who don’t let me know when spending starts to creep past budgets.
Lawbook: Do you have any pro bono or public service projects that are dear to you?
Bertolatus: Some of my best days as a lawyer have been working with immigrant women and girls fleeing gender violence and seeking asylum with the talented and dedicated lawyers at the Tahirih Justice Center. I’ve also been a part of the Houston institution of Night Court, which is an annual, original all-lawyer Broadway-style show that raises money for local pro bono organizations. While I’m offstage now, I’m happy to continue playing a role on the board of directors. Most recently, I’ve been honored to serve on the board of directors for Friends of the Children – Houston to help provide mentors for Houston children who need them the most.
Lawbook: How important is diversity in the legal profession, and what can GCs and law firm leaders do to preserve diversity efforts?
Bertolatus: I think that diversity is incredibly important in legal departments and across all business functions. With diversity comes differences in perspective, which helps in issue spotting, resolution generation and overall better outcomes for all kinds of legal and business issues. Appreciating this strength and incorporating it mindfully into an assessment of candidates that focuses on the totality of the person and everything that they will bring to a role is key.
Click here to read the Lawbook profile of Kathleen Bertolatus.