Richard Ellison - Senior Associate, Dispute Resolution at BHP Law
What were your career ambitions growing up?
I’m going back a while here, but from memory I had a vague idea I would be either a footballer or a musician. Sadly, a lack of talent or application – or, probably, both – led me to law after a couple of initial false starts.
Tell us about your current role.
I recently joined regional law firm BHP Law as a Senior Associate in dispute resolution following a move “home” to County Durham, where I grew up, having spent my legal career in London and Paris thus far.
What is your proudest business achievement?
This is a true fact: in around 2012 I drafted, in French, portions of the Petroleum Code of the Republic of Chad, which is not something I would ever have imagined myself doing. I should add, though, that I have a degree of doubt as to how rigorously it has since been applied in practice.
How has your industry changed in the last decade?
It’s a continuation of an ongoing trend, but there is a hugely increased acceptance of the concept that – whilst sometimes a necessary evil – court proceedings should ideally be a last resort: the likes of mediation, arbitration and expert determination have become far more common, which I think is to be welcomed. Separately, it’s something of a cliche to say artificial intelligence, but I am already seeing work which would previously have required armies of paralegals being essentially automated to a large degree.
Tell us about the clients you work with.
Confidentiality obligations prevent me from saying too much, but after having previously worked on what were frequently quite abstract disputes worth up to the billions of dollars it is hugely refreshing now to be helping clients with matters which affect them on a personal level.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
This will sound utterly mundane, but check, double check and treble check who your emails are addressed to…I have seen and been on the receiving end of some autofill shockers.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I’m sure I won’t have been alone in finding the Covid period immensely challenging, both on a personal level and in terms of a very steep learning curve transitioning to remote working. A quick word of praise for the English court system, which despite what might have been expected coped admirably, giving benefits that have been ongoing ever since.
On a lighter note I attempted during a sabbatical to travel from County Durham to Australia without flying, which had some pretty hairy moments; I did make it as far as Indonesia before I ran out of both time and available modes of transport.
Who are your heroes inside and outside of business?
I have the dubious pleasure of supporting Darlington FC, so there can only be one answer: legendary former captain Craig Liddle from the last few Football League years.
How do you unwind outside of work?
Playing and watching football and cricket; I am also an obsessive consumer of material about news and politics. It dawns on me now that each of those is arguably more a source of frustration and disappointment than a way of unwinding…
www.bhplaw.co.uk