In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Julia Wright discusses the traits she seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with her and more.
The Lawbook: What has been your best day at ChampionX so far?
Julia Wright: June 2, 2020 — the day Apergy Corporation (ChampionX Corporation) closed on the acquisition of the chemical technologies spin-off from Ecolab. Together we rebranded and formed ChampionX Corporation. We had recently taken Apergy public in May 2018, and to have had a successful spin-off become a differentiated company that was trading at a premium such that we were able to more than triple in size and diversify our business footprint is a real source of pride for our management team. Additionally, we closed that transaction in the height of the pandemic which was no small feat.
The Lawbook: How has the role of the GC evolved over the past decade or so?
Wright: Expansion! Complexity! General counsels now have even more to wrangle, i.e. how to develop automated tools that provide ease in seeking support with high visibility of status and results so that the data can be leveraged with our internal customers; keeping abreast of an ever-changing regulatory environment with significant risks (think sanctions) and overall shifts in risk strategy in the [oil field services] sector. Most important is the importance of leading a team and keeping up with how best to motivate our teams (think flexible schedules and remote work).
The Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel?
Wright: When deciding about hiring outside counsel, I first leverage my internal team’s expertise. We have fantastic subject-matter experts who I rely on day in and day out. If we don’t know or want a gut check, we consider if there is a partner who knows our business and knows the subject matter in-depth and how responsive he or she may be. I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with and learn from our global external counsel.
The Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Wright: The ChampionX Law Department is always looking to be more efficient and more effective in solving customers’ problems. Our mission impacts everything we do. Meaning, we tend to be fast-paced and seek solid, practical advice delivered quickly versus a more robust, perfect legal memo. We have long-standing relationships with our outside counsel and rely on them to perform as an extension of our law department. We believe in including our internal clients real time and having robust conversations together in a collaborative manner.
Click here to read the Lawbook profile of Julia Wright.