Malika D. Herring
Senior Attorney
Pearland,TX
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Litigation Counsel
bp America Inc.
Houston, Texas
12.2008 - Current
- Manage international, geographic and specialty cases involving commercial, tort liability, and regulatory lawsuits, claims and subpoenas upstream and downstream for over 20 different companies under the bp America Inc. entity umbrella;
- Supervise outside counsel in numerous jurisdictions managing litigation risks, lawsuits, investigations, regulatory scrutiny, enforcement actions and arbitrations;
- Lead internal investigations and a litigation team to help manage the company’s risks for bp Legal;
- Counsel senior company executives and commercial colleagues regarding company risks, legal exposure, and liability;
- Supervise and provide legal advice to company’s third-party administrators in pre-litigated claims and help facilitate resolutions to both insured and uninsured disputes;
- Lead internal and incident investigations and prepare both fact and corporate witnesses;
- Develop and execute legal strategies and negotiate case resolutions;
- Research, draft, and create internal policies and present shared learnings;
- Overall management and control of litigation costs within portfolios of cases including forecasting and budgeting;
- Provide monthly and quarterly reporting to senior leaders, business stakeholders, and internal/external auditors regarding upcoming trials, trial status, risks, and trends;
- Draft, review and revise a variety of instruments, including insurance and settlement agreements;
- Update bp Finance regarding litigated matters, particularly around quarterly provisioning, contingent liability reporting, disclosure, counsel on long-term financial strategy and liaison with third party auditors regarding litigation risks;
- Manage electronic discovery and legal changes in litigated matters;
- Partner with government affairs and corporate secretary offices regarding corporate governance, defense of claims, due diligence and strategy alignment and
- Negotiate, review, execute and approve vendor and supplier contracts and invoices.
Assistant General Counsel, Litigation
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas
10.2006 - 12.2008
- Manage over 400 geographic and specialty cases involving personal injury and premises liability lawsuits;
- Supervise outside counsel in 21 states with over 50 law firms handling litigation and investigations;
- Counsel senior company executives regarding legal exposure and liability;
- Interview and retain outside counsel, direct discovery conferences, and establish lawsuit reserves;
- Determine case strategy, resolution, contract review/interpretation, and approve expert witnesses;
- Provide legal advice and support to company’s third-party administrators in pre-litigated claims;
- Advise store management and retail operations executives regarding liability and continuous improvements in policies and procedures to ensure customer safety and company goodwill;
- Prepare store management and pleadings for small case representation in limited jurisdiction courts;
- Develop and execute risk mitigation, margin protection strategies, and negotiate settlements;
- Research, investigate, and analyze significant statutory and case law that applies to business matters and/or questions posed by senior management;
- Mediate cases in fair format in various territories; and
- Review, scrutinize, and approve law firm and third-party invoices.
Associate
Powers & Frost, L.L.P.
Houston, Texas
04.2003 - 10.2006
- Primarily practiced in the areas of premises/products liability and mass tort litigation;
- Managed over 100 cases in the state of Texas;
- Drafted and argued pleadings, memoranda, and dispositive motions;
- Represented clients at oral hearings, mediations, and court-mandated conferences; and
- Maintained second chair status along side named partner at trial.
Associate
Abbott, Simses & Kuchler, P.L.C.
Houston, Texas
08.2001 - 04.2003
- Practiced in the areas of commercial and environmental litigation, premises and products liability litigation, employment litigation, and insurance defense; and
- Drafted memoranda and co-wrote briefs for all stages of trial and appellate practice, pleadings, and discovery.
Timeline
Senior Litigation Counsel
bp America Inc.
12.2008 - Current
Assistant General Counsel, Litigation
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
10.2006 - 12.2008
Associate
Powers & Frost, L.L.P.
04.2003 - 10.2006
Associate
Abbott, Simses & Kuchler, P.L.C.
08.2001 - 04.2003