The IBA hosted a webcast interview and Q&A with Peter Rees QC, Legal Director of Royal Dutch Shell, on 24 May 2011. In his role as Legal Director, Rees is also a member of the Executive Committee and has ultimate responsibility for the Shell global legal function. Watch the film below or read the transcript here.

Topics include:

• Challenges facing the energy sector
• The changing business of Royal Dutch Shell
• The increasingly powerful role of the General Counsel
• Corporate social responsibility

Timings and topics

00:35 - 'What is special about your role?'
01:50 - 'How do you deal with the complexity of issues and sheer scale of the operation at Shell?'
03:18 - 'How do you decide what to handle in-house and what to send out to private practice?'
04:30 - 'What impact is your background as a litigator and QC going to have on the way Shell does things?'
07:52 - 'What are the biggest challenges facing Shell/the energy sector?' Also *Foreign Corrupt Practices Act *anti-bribery and compliance *Shell's deferred prosecution agreement
14:10 - UK Bribery Act
19:16 - Corporate governance and transparency
24:44 and 31:44 - John Ruggie's 'Protect, Respect, Remedy' framework; other guidelines and resolutions; accountability
33:40 - Libya
34:46 - 'Will you pursue partners in BP/Macondo disaster for loss of earnings?'
36:38 - 'Has your approach to areas such as Alaska/Greenland/Mexico changed as a result of Macondo?'
39:10 - 'What are the main things you get involved with in your role?'
42:40 - Nigeria
49:05 - North Africa and Middle East
50:19 - Iraq
52:04 - Mediation
53:23 - Private investigators
55:05 - Possiblity of a Shell/Rosneft deal?
56:30 - Shell and sustainability