Travis Torrence was in high school when his aunt, a school teacher-turned-political activist, sued her local government under the Voting Rights Act challenging the “at-large” election system. “She won,” Torrence said. “That was the first time I noticed the law being used to effectuate societal change — change that for that community was historic. I remember thinking that the law was the key to justice, fairness, equity and equality.”
Torrence, the great-great grandson of a slave who is now the leader of Shell USA’s global litigation bankruptcy and credit team, fearlessly tackles diversity, equity and inclusion. He is a pioneer on issues of the diversity pipeline and programs that support the LGBTQ community. The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook named Torrence as one of two finalists for the 2022 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion.
For Mark Curriden’s full profile of Travis Torrence Click Here.
Texas Lawbook: Who are your life or career mentors?
Travis Torrence: I don’t make any major career or personal decisions without talking to Anne Rodgers, a disputes partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, who I first met during my callback interview with Fulbright & Jaworski. We’ve been through hurricanes, my move to Shell, and so much more together. Demetra Liggins, a bankruptcy partner at McGuireWoods, is always a great source of wisdom, fun and strategic insight. She is truly a trusted advisor. Bill Greendyke, a bankruptcy partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and former chief judge of the bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Texas, taught me everything I know about being a bankruptcy lawyer. I cannot thank Karen Cochran, Kimberly Phillips and James Cowan at Shell enough for shaping my in-house career. They’ve been amazing thought-partners and allies when I’ve needed them most.
Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Torrence: When engaging outside counsel, I look for that unique combination of technical expertise, competitive pricing, a commitment to learning about our various lines of business and the legal and commercial issues we face, the savviness and curiosity to identify and raise issues that are emerging in our industry, emotional intelligence and an unwavering commitment to staffing my matters with diverse teams who employ inclusive behaviors.
Lawbook: Do you have pet peeves regarding outside counsel?
Torrence: One of the most fun aspects of practicing law is applying a legal framework (that sometimes is still developing in a jurisdiction) to a unique set of facts or commercial objectives. It’s surprising how many lawyers in private practice will provide a superficial analysis of legal issues or are unwilling or unable to engage in a meaningful application of legal judgment to real-life scenarios. It’s also really irritating when emails aren’t answered or acknowledged promptly or when we face fire drills that could have been avoided with just a little bit of foresight.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Torrence: When I hire outside counsel, I’m entrusting them with my professional reputation and that of the Shell Group of companies. They are an extension of me, and I’m looking for people with whom I can brainstorm the toughest legal issues we face and who are going to emulate the work ethic and critical thought that I put into my matters. I’m looking for a trusted advisor, and someone who likes to have fun!
Lawbook: How important is it that corporate clients hold their firms to specific diversity standards and fire them if they do not meet those standards?
Torrence: Our biggest tool, as consumers of legal services, is our pocketbook. And while I believe we need to be clear, consistent and unwavering about our expectations of our law firms, I believe in incentives and making smart decisions at the outset of engagements much more than I believe in penalties. Instead of firing firms, I think we should focus on exclusively hiring firms and lawyers whose values are consistent with those stated by our own organizations. That is, we need to be clear about what we want and only hire firms that have the requisite level of representation and that are able to demonstrate that year-after-year they are making progress as opposed to remaining stagnant or losing ground.
Lawbook: What are one or two life-impacting experiences you’ve had?
Torrence: When I was in my junior year at Tulane, I lost my mother after a fast and devastating battle with colorectal cancer. My mom died the year she was slated to retire after 30 years of teaching in the public school system. Her death taught me to put things into perspective, to find purpose, to enjoy life’s sweet moments, to live life to the fullest and to pursue happiness in all things that I do.
Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges for corporate law firms in addressing diversity and how can law firms best address those challenges and achieve diversity?
Torrence: One of the biggest challenges that most organizations face relates to retaining talent from traditionally underrepresented groups. After investing time and resources into making recruitment processes more equitable and inclusive, organizations are really struggling to retain their talent. And we all know that turnover is expensive in terms of money, morale, time, reputation, culture, sense of community and the lost potential of what the employee could have achieved for the organization. While the tactics used to solve the retention problem will be different for different organizations, I believe people stay within our organizations when they feel engaged in their work, [are] appropriately compensated as though their efforts are appreciated and [have] a sense of community and belonging. So, from onboarding to addressing any issues of unconscious bias in individuals, systems, and practices to training managers to lead and give feedback across differences to providing mentorship and sponsorship to creating a culture of inclusion, organizations need to be intentional and steadfast about retention. The good news is that, when organizations concentrate on these themes, they tend to benefit everyone — not just people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.