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As assistant general counsel of Southwestern Energy, Rob Ellis has notched big victories. None bigger than last October when Ellis and his team of lawyers at Yetter Coleman sued a chemical company whose operations on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River allegedly trespassed and interfered with the underground drilling operations of a Southwestern Energy subsidiary. A three-week trial resulted in a unanimous verdict awarding Ellis’ company $70 million in damages. Citing the huge courtroom victory and his service to the greater Houston community, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston chapter and The Texas Lawbook have awarded Ellis the 2023 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department.
Ellis reflected on his other major career successes at Southwestern Energy and when he was in private practice at Yetter Coleman. Plus, he shares what he looks for in outside counsel.
The Texas Lawbook: What were one or two of your biggest victories at Yetter Coleman?
Rob Ellis: On the defense side, I represented my current employer Southwestern Energy in a nationwide royalty class action. The plaintiffs were seeking hundreds of millions of dollars, and we tried the case in Little Rock federal court to a complete defense jury verdict with no liability and zero damages. On the plaintiff side, we tried a case in Sacramento federal court on behalf of a sand and gravel mine that was shut down by Sacramento County at the urging of a large competitor. The jury unanimously awarded the plaintiffs over $100 million in damages.
The Lawbook: How did you get involved in the pro bono case involving the Native American inmates?
Ellis: I learned through the HBA that a federal court in Corpus Christi was requesting pro bono assistance in representing the religious liberty claims of these Native American inmates. This was a meaningful opportunity to defend religious liberties, in addition to gaining more trial experience.
The Lawbook: Other than the Ohio court case, what have been one or two of your biggest accomplishments at Southwestern?
Ellis: The successful assessment and integration of their litigation dockets across new jurisdictions as Southwestern has acquired multiple companies since I have arrived.
The Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel? Do you have specific criteria?
Ellis: Attorneys with creative business-oriented solutions that can efficiently manage the dispute to resolution and avoid major surprises.
Click here for the full profile of Rob Ellis for the 2023 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.