Maine Goodfellow, Julie Pradel and Rob Task
Each night at 11 p.m. for nearly a year, Robert Task, Julie Pradel and Maine Goodfellow were on the phone discussing the problems they faced, the challenges lying ahead and the successes achieved that day. The three senior-level in-house counsel at Phillips 66 spent hundreds and hundreds of hours negotiating the terms, handling due diligence, doing the paperwork and getting the necessary approvals to push Phillips 66’s $3.4 billion acquisition of its limited partner, Phillips 66 Partners, over the finish line. Task, Pradel and Goodfellow faced multiple headwinds: stresses from the lingering pandemic, fluctuating oil and gas prices, rising interest rates, a tumultuous global economic environment and wild swings in stock prices. But they got the deal done and it is a finalist for the 2022 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Transaction of the Year.
For Mark Curriden’s full profile of the Phillips 66 team Click Here.
Texas Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Robert Task: We tend to look for outside counsel that take the time to get to know Phillips 66 by understanding our businesses and, to a degree, our culture. We also look for firms with areas of specific expertise that are also competitive from a rates perspective.
Lawbook: Do you have pet peeves regarding outside counsel?
Task: Fortunately, we are very selective and get to know our outside counsel well. We rarely have any experiences that would rise to the level of pet peeves.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Task: I have an enterprise-wide view of our businesses and will take all of their considerations into account as we move through a particular transaction. As a general rule not unlike most other transactional lawyers, I try to think outside the box in seeking transactional solutions.
Lawbook: How important is pro bono and diversity in your hiring of outside counsel?
Task: Inclusion and diversity are definitely criteria we consider when hiring outside counsel.
Lawbook: Are you involved in any favorite pro bono efforts or public service projects that you want us to highlight?
Julie Pradel: Theatre Under the Stars. While growing up, I was in the TUTS training program and performed in several of their professional productions during junior high, high school and college. I now serve on the board of directors. Also Night Court: This is a nonprofit organization that produces original musicals written and performed by lawyers to raise money for legal charities. Our next performances are Aug. 17-20, 2022, at the Hobby Center. I performed in the musical productions for over 10 years. I now serve on the board of directors.
Maine Goodfellow: I have been an active member of the Houston Bar Association, serving on the AIDS Outreach Committee from 2013-2020 and the Fun Run Committee from 2020-2022.