General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Diversified Energy Company PLC
Photo by Diversified Energy.
By Ken Magill
Always be polite and respectful, even with an adversary, and always make sure everyone on the team gets the credit they deserve. Those are two of the philosophies that have underpinned the career of Benjamin Sullivan, general counsel and executive vice president of Diversified Energy Company PLC.
Sullivan graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in history and received a Juris Doctorate from the West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law in 2004. He fondly remembers his days at WVU, including the great camaraderie with classmates, wonderful and engaged professors and ability to frequently and easily travel into the scenic areas around West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Sullivan recalls learning the importance of legal professionalism during his time in law school.
“I was an intern one summer at Spilman Thomas & Battle while in college,” he says. “It was there I first learned the value of being honorable and professional even when in an adversarial role.”
Fresh out of law school, Sullivan took a job at Lewis Glasser PLLC in Charleston, WV, a firm specializing in corporate issues, energy and mineral law, real property law, commercial litigation and real estate, among other areas.
“At that job, I learned that being overprepared was very important, and it allowed me to perform legal tasks at a very high level,” says Sullivan. “I also learned I did not particularly enjoy being a litigator but found I did enjoy the commercial and business side of law. Now, I have been general counsel at several companies and learned that I am a good project manager.”
Sullivan joined Diversified Energy in 2019, assuming oversight of the company’s legal, real estate and governmental affairs functions. Diversified operates in 10 states and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It has more than 1,500 employees, including almost 500 in West Virginia.
“I enjoy helping the business accomplish its goals in a sustainable and ethical manner and coming up with commercial and legal solutions that are simple and elegant,” Sullivan says.
Prior to joining Diversified, Sullivan worked with Greylock Energy and its predecessor, Energy Corporation of America, as executive vice president and general counsel. Before Greylock Energy, he worked as counsel for natural gas producer EQT Corporation.
Sullivan credits his success to being willing to work harder and longer than many others, having an analytical mind and being humble enough to recognize his own areas of weakness where it’s best to bring in outside help. He is proud of the growth opportunities he has helped create for his corporate clients and the resulting positive economic impact those deals have had for the surrounding communities.
“The work and the transactions I’ve done have helped clients meet their business goals and ensure their operations are successful, creating sustainable, good-paying jobs for the communities where we operate,” he says. “I’ve worked on significant acquisitions that have materially grown my clients’ businesses.”
Sullivan sits on the boards of directors of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV), Virginia Oil and Gas Association, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and West Virginia State University Research and Development Corporation. He is also a member of the West Virginia State Election Commission. The appointment of which he is most proud is having been voted president of GO-WV.
“Being elected to the boards of directors and to officer positions of various client-related organizations is very rewarding because the clients and their peers are recognizing my good service,” he says.
He has also been named an In-House Trailblazer by Law.com and a Top 40 Under 40 by The State Journal.
Sullivan offers free legal help to people who can’t afford it in estate planning, probate, real property, landlord-tenant issues and family law.
“I enjoy branching out into these areas that I don’t typically spend much time in and helping those who otherwise may not have access to counsel,” he says.
Sullivan also believes in lifting up those around him by mentoring coworkers in the legal and business sides of the operation and passing along advice on strategies that have worked for him.
“I get tremendous satisfaction out of seeing others achieve success through excellent work and appreciate being able to assist them when I can,” he says. “At the end of a successful project, I always thank those involved and make sure their bosses or clients are aware of the good work they did.”
Sullivan’s generous spirit is not confined to his coworkers. He also focuses his efforts on younger, more vulnerable West Virginians.
“Being an upstanding member of the legal—and West Virginia—community is very important to me. I treat others how I want to be treated—with respect and transparency. Helping the next generation of West Virginians grow up to be successful and resilient is one of my highest priorities,” he says. “I like to focus on causes that help children in need, that are suffering from illnesses or have poor access to health or education, including access to arts.”
As for influential people in his career, Sullivan names Nick Casey and Mark Sadd, two colleagues from Lewis Glasser PLLC, who gave him his first law job and taught him honor, congeniality and preparation.
“Nick was viewed by most people as being not only extremely smart and always prepared to discuss the topic at hand, but also as someone who would treat his adversaries with respect,” Sullivan says.
Sadd taught him much about the practice of law, real property and client service.
“I still rely on their advice,” Sullivan says.
Sullivan grew up in Charleston as an only child. His father was a historian, writer and editor, and his mother was a teacher and principal. Sullivan spent a good deal of his childhood on a farm in Summers County. As a child, he dreamed of having a career working outdoors. While his life led him down a different path, Sullivan still spends a lot of his free time outside skiing, mountain biking, hiking, dirt biking and boating. He also enjoys traveling with his family.
It’s been said that many young West Virginians dream of leaving the state to pursue what they perceive as greater opportunities elsewhere and then, after they leave, spend their time trying to figure out how to get back. Sullivan did not make that mistake. Although he was challenged with the prospect of leaving West Virginia, in the end, he decided to stay and has never regretted it.
“I am glad I chose to stay in West Virginia,” he says. “I have seen that you can practice world-class law here.”
