Arnold & Porter Taps BP Legal Head as Complex Litigation Partner

Arnold & Porter has snagged former BP Plc Vice President Ryan Hartman, who led the company’s legal and compliance teams, as the newest complex litigation partner in the firm’s Houston office.

Hartman started Monday after a decade with London-based BP. Before that, he was a senior associate attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright.

“I’ve worked with many firms over the years, and I’ve just been uniquely impressed with Arnold & Porter’s expertise, with their experience, and their culture of client services as well,” Hartman told Bloomberg Law. He confirmed that he had worked with the firm while in-house with BP.

Arnold & Porter has represented BP in about 5% of the company’s cases, according to Bloomberg Law’s litigation analytics. That’s over 2,200 cases since 2007, including three torts to land lawsuits filed this year against BP and similar companies.

BP also worked with the firm on a variety of environmental and regulatory and civil litigation matters following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, according to Hartman.

Ryan Hartman

Photo courtesy of Arnold & Porter

Hartman said his responsibilities at BP included leading the company’s global anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance teams. He previously worked on civil litigation and government investigations in private practice, according to a firm statement.

“Ryan is a talented energy industry lawyer with broad expertise in litigation, compliance, and investigations,” Arnold & Porter’s Houston office head Christopher Odell said in the statement. “His in-house experience coupled with his background in private practice makes him well-positioned to help clients in addressing their complex litigation and compliance needs.”

Arnold & Porter’s complex litigation team also added Katherine Treistman as a partner in February. Including Hartman, the firm now has four complex litigation partners in Houston.