The Ashurst litigator on the firm’s first oil industry dispute, his Newsnight ambitions and the longest 10 minutes of his life
Why did you become a litigator?
It was the only type of legal work for which I showed any true competence.
What’s the closest you have come to doing something other than law?
I was tempted by political journalism. I had several conversations with the then political editor of the BBC, John Cole, who warned me that there was no money in it.
Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why?
There are two: Arthur Marriott, who was one of the first UK solicitors to develop a truly international disputes practice, and Tony Grabiner, who has created a truly diverse meritocracy at One Essex Court.
What’s your proudest professional moment?
Being part of the legal team that won for Amerada Hess in the Court of Appeal in the Texas Eastern pre-emption litigation in 1989. This was Ashurst’s first oil industry dispute and the genesis of the firm’s energy practice. It was a big win, early in my career, which at the time I was told was the case of a lifetime – and it was.
