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Exxon Mobil senior counsel Tom Sikora is considered one of the top international arbitration lawyers in the world. Sikora has led more than 50 international arbitrations with more than $80 billion at stake. He has tried cases in more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Chile, Trinidad, Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Brazil, Canada, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Iraq. He is chair of the Institute of Transnational Arbitration and senior counsel at Exxon Mobil.
Texas Lawbook founder Mark Curriden had the opportunity chat with Sikora about his remarkable career path and his outlook as a senior in house counsel at one of the largest corporations in the world.
Texas Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Tom Sikora: I look for an outstanding and brilliant advocate backed up with a strong bench behind him/her. I generally already know who these people are, as I’ve been in this space for almost 27 years. I also look for teams with relevant country/issue experience so we are not reinventing the wheel. When meeting new counsel in places where I don’t have counsel already, I can tell pretty quickly if I’ve found the right lawyer and the right team. I hire lawyers not law firms.
Lawbook: Do you have pet peeves regarding outside counsel?
Sikora: I really like working with the lawyers that I’ve selected and have really few complaints. We work with some incredibly impressive and talented teams. Even the young lawyers I work with are very impressive. In arbitration, our teams work very hard but it always pays off. When working from my outsides counsel’s office, getting ready for hearings, I often leave the office after midnight and am incredibly grateful to see that my team is there as well. Sometimes, when I work with lawyers inherited from others, that I would not necessarily have selected, I do get frustrated when they are not doing something right but refuse to take a hint. But that is very infrequent.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
For Mark Curriden’s full feature profile of Tom Sikora, click here.
Sikora: I have been in their shoes, and I know what it takes to succeed. I trust and respect the lawyers I work with and will not second-guess them on strategic or tactical calls that are art rather than science (unless they were clearly wrong, which does not happen). Exxon Mobil expects its lawyers to put in the work necessary to prevail but will always pay its bills. I’ve had wonderful experiences working with my outside counsel and treasure those relationships.
Lawbook: How important is diversity in your hiring of outside counsel? Have you ever fired a law firm for its lack of diversity or would you under what conditions?
Sikora: Diversity is very important to the corporation and to the law department. My teams, given the nature of my practice, are always very international and very diverse in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. They look the way the international arbitration bar looks. Actually, many of my teams have been majority female. I always have tried to be a mentor to younger lawyers and promote their careers, especially women lawyers. I am currently mentoring a young woman in Africa and two women law students in Australia. Incidentally, some really prominent international arbitration lawyers were exceedingly kind to me when I was a very young lawyer, and I always try to pay it back.