Counsel, Commercial Litigation

Job category

Legal

Experience level

Senior

Relocation available

This role is eligible for relocation within country

Job type

Professionals

Travel required

Up to 25% travel should be expected with this role

Job code

RQ109512

BP is seeking an exceptional litigation attorney to join its US Litigation & Disputes Legal team. This is a rare opportunity for a high-performing lawyer to work at the center of some of the most significant, complex, and high-stakes disputes in the United States.

We are looking for a commercially minded, strategically sharp, and execution-focused attorney who thrives in a demanding, fast-paced environment and wants to operate at the highest level of in-house legal practice. This role offers direct engagement with business leaders, top tier external law firms, expert witnesses, and sophisticated disputes spanning litigation, arbitration, regulatory matters, and crisis-sensitive issues.

You will be part of an elite legal team trusted to protect the company’s interests, reputation, and assets across a broad portfolio of consequential matters.

Why This Role

This position is designed for lawyers who want more than routine case management. You will confront novel legal issues, make consequential decisions, influence enterprise strategy, and lead matters where the stakes are real and outcomes matter.

You will work in an energetic and intellectually rigorous environment that values judgment, accountability, resilience, and teamwork.

What You Will Do

- Lead complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and dispute matters from early assessment through resolution.

- Develop winning strategies across pleadings, discovery, dispositive motions, expert issues, trial preparation, hearings, appeals, and settlement.

- Advise senior management and business leaders on legal, financial, operational, and reputational risk.

- Translate sophisticated legal issues into clear business recommendations that drive sound decision-making.

- Direct and challenge premier outside counsel and expert teams to deliver outstanding results efficiently.

- Conduct witness preparation, key interviews, factual investigations, and strategic internal engagement.

- Manage disputes involving contracts, energy, environmental, business torts, class actions, property damage, and other high-exposure matters.

- Partner across legal, compliance, finance, communications, operations, and commercial teams on enterprise-wide issues.

- Drive disciplined budgeting, matter management, and cost control without compromising quality.

Who You Are

- A top-tier litigator with outstanding credentials, strong instincts, and a record of success in sophisticated disputes.

- Comfortable operating under pressure with competing priorities and executive visibility.

- Strategic, practical, and decisive.

- Highly credible with business leaders, colleagues, and external counsel.

- Motivated by challenge, responsibility, and meaningful work.

- Collaborative leader who raises standards and improves teams around you.

Experience & Qualifications

- Juris Doctor from an accredited U.S. law school. Active license to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction with minimum 7+ years of relevant litigation experience (law firm, clerkship, in-house, or combination).

- Significant experience handling complex commercial litigation matters.

- Strong experience in U.S. federal and state court litigation, as well as arbitration, is preferred.

- Experience managing multiple high-stakes matters simultaneously.

- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and sophisticated external counsel relationships.

- Excellent written advocacy, oral communication, and executive presence.

- Exposure to bankruptcy proceedings is helpful, as such matters may arise from time to time in the broader disputes portfolio.

- Willingness and ability to travel as needed (approximately 15–25%)

At bp, we support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and ambitious environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.

There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits ( https://exploreyourbenefits.com/landing.html) to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, and excellent retirement benefits, among others!

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.

Our innovative Energize recognition points programme and spot awards translate exceptional performance into tangible rewards, to motivate our high performers.

Pay

bp offers competitive pay in line with industry standards, making us an employer of choice.

Discretionary bonus

We offer discretionary bonuses to reward strong company, business unit and individual performance, and recognition awards, including those related to long service to recognize commitment to the company.

Retirement & savings

We offer a range of discretionary retirement and savings plans to help provide you and your family with financial security.

Insurance benefits

To give you additional peace of mind, bp provides valuable insurance benefits in some countries. These are designed to provide financial assistance to employees and their families if employees become unwell or die in service.

Equity

Depending on your location and job level, there may be equity (stock and share) options you are eligible to join so you can be part of bp’s success.

Disclaimer

This is a high-level summary only of terms and current discretionary benefits applicable to certain roles. Some rewards, benefits and policies are at managers’ discretion and vary depending on where you work within the business. All terms subject to contract and all discretionary benefits subject to policy and eligibility.