Oliva Gibbs

What Oliva Gibbs does

Oliva Gibbs PLLC is a Houston-headquartered, pure-play oil and gas law firm founded in 2013 by Zack Oliva and rebranded under its current name in 2022 after Brad Gibbs became co-founder/partner. The firm operates across six U.S. offices (Houston, Columbus, Lafayette, Midland, Oklahoma City, San Antonio) with 60+ attorneys licensed in more than 15 producing states, delivering services across three integrated practice areas: Title (examinations, curative, drilling/acquisition/division order/supplemental opinions), Litigation (royalty, contract, title, and regulatory disputes), and Transactions (M&A, purchase and sale agreements, joint operating agreements, surface use, unitization/pooling). It also offers specialized lithium legal services covering extraction, brine leases, and produced water issues across Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Utah.

The business is a professional services firm earning revenue through hourly and matter-based legal fees across upstream oil and gas operators, mineral buyers, PE-backed energy ventures, and in-house counsel. The go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales plus event-driven relationship development at industry venues (NAPE Summit, AAPL Annual Meeting, state petroleum associations), supplemented by content marketing, an Energy Education Series webinar program, and the "OG Talks: Good Energy" podcast. Long-duration client relationships (e.g., Kraken Oil & Gas since 2018; a PE-backed operator partnership spanning 30+ deals since 2021) and board-certified attorneys in oil, gas, and mineral law underpin a differentiated talent and domain moat.

Oliva Gibbs has no disclosed external funding and is privately held by its partners. It has earned consecutive Chambers USA recognition (Band 2 in Energy & Natural Resources: Ohio in 2026; first-time recognition in 2025), inaugural Legal 500 Houston Elite rankings (Tier 2 Energy Transactions; Tier 3 Energy Litigation), Inc. 5000 and Inc. Regionals Southwest (#40 in 2026) placements, VaultLaw #7 best midsize firm to work for, and multiple U.S. News-Best Lawyers Tier 2/3 rankings — placing it among the fastest-growing and most credentialed U.S. energy-focused law firms.

Name

Oliva Gibbs

Legal name

Oliva Gibbs PLLC

Website

https://oglawyers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Oliva Gibbs is a Houston-based, pure-play oil and gas law firm with 60+ attorneys in six U.S. offices serving upstream operators, mineral buyers, and PE-backed energy ventures across all major U.S. basins through title, litigation, and transactional practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oil and Gas Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (213112)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUALAAAB

Mineral Rights, Leasing & Land Management

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Upstream Exploration & Production (E&P)

Keywords

• Oil and gas law
• Title examinations
• Upstream legal services
• Energy transactions
• Mineral rights law

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Title Opinions: The firm provides comprehensive title opinions including drilling, division order, acquisition, and supplemental opinions for oil and gas operations nationwide. Revenue is generated through professional legal fees charged for each matter.
2. Legal Services - Litigation: The firm handles complex litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution matters for oil and gas clients including royalty disputes, contract disputes, title disputes, and regulatory matters.
3. Legal Services - Transactions: The firm advises on mergers and acquisitions, purchase and sale agreements, joint operating agreements, and other transactional matters for upstream oil and gas clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oliva Gibbs is a national oil and gas law firm providing legal services across title examinations (drilling, division order, acquisition, and supplemental opinions), upstream transactions (M&A, joint operating agreements, surface use, unitization and pooling), and litigation (royalty, contract, title, and regulatory disputes). With 60+ attorneys licensed in 15+ producing states and offices in six key U.S. basins, the firm serves operators, mineral buyers, and PE-backed energy ventures nationwide. The firm also offers specialized lithium legal services addressing brine leases, produced water, and emerging mineral rights regulation.

Product overview

Oliva Gibbs is a national oil and gas law firm providing legal services through three integrated practice areas: Title (title examinations, curative matters, and title opinions), Litigation (dispute resolution, regulatory, and appellate matters), and Transactions (M&A, contracts, surface use, and unitization). The firm also offers specialized Lithium Legal Services addressing emerging brine and produced water issues. With 60+ attorneys licensed in 15+ states and six office locations, the firm serves upstream operators, mineral owners, and energy investors nationwide across all major U.S. oil basins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Title Services Comprehensive oil and gas title services including title examinations, curative matters, and title opinions (drilling, acquisition, division order, supplemental) delivered by attorneys licensed in 15+ producing states. The offering helps upstream clients get wells online, close deals, and resolve multi-generational ownership issues.
• Litigation Services Full-service oil and gas litigation including royalty disputes, contract disputes, title disputes, construction disputes, regulatory actions, and appellate litigation. The team represents operators, mineral buyers, construction companies, and service providers in complex matters.
• Transactional Services Comprehensive transactional legal support including mergers and acquisitions, purchase and sale agreements, joint operating agreements, surface use agreements, lease negotiation, entity formation, mortgage opinions, and ancillary probate for upstream oil and gas operations.
• Lithium Legal Services Specialized legal counsel for lithium extraction, brine lease negotiations, and produced water issues. Addresses lithium ownership classification, royalty rights, and emerging regulations across Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Utah.
• Regulatory Compliance Services Guidance through federal and state regulations for upstream oil and gas operations, with representation before agencies including the BLM, Texas Railroad Commission, EPA, and state oil and gas commissions for permits, compliance, and enforcement matters.
• Dispute Resolution & Risk Management Strategic dispute resolution including royalty disputes, contract disputes, commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution (arbitration and mediation), and risk management counseling to prevent conflicts before they escalate.
• Surface Use Agreement Services Negotiation and drafting of surface use agreements, easements, rights-of-way, and surface damage agreements to secure operational access for oil and gas development while managing surface owner relationships.
• Unitization & Pooling Services Legal support for combining tracts and aligning interest owners to create drilling units that meet regulatory, operational, and title requirements for upstream oil and gas development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No. 40 on Inc. Regionals Southwest list (2026) - three spots higher than previous year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL)minorOthersJosh Abrams holds membership in the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), Michael Late Benedum Chapter. This represents a professional association membership rather than a formal business partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Steptoe & Johnson: Regional law firm with one of the largest dedicated oil and gas practices in the Appalachian Basin, covering title, litigation, and transactions for upstream clients. Highly comparable to Oliva Gibbs in its specialization in upstream oil and gas law and multi-state basin coverage.
• McAfee & Taft: Oklahoma-based full-service law firm with a nationally recognized energy practice serving oil and gas operators across the Anadarko, SCOOP/STACK, and Permian basins. Directly comparable in size, basin focus, and mix of title, transactional, and litigation work for upstream clients.
• Jackson Walker: Texas-founded law firm with one of the largest energy practices in the state, serving oil and gas operators with title, transactions, and litigation services. Closely comparable to Oliva Gibbs on Texas/Permian basin focus and energy specialization, though materially larger.
• Thompson & Knight: Texas-based law firm with a long-standing oil and gas practice covering upstream, midstream, and energy transactions globally. Comparable on energy specialization and Texas operational base, but broader in scope and larger in scale.
• Bracewell LLP: Houston-headquartered law firm with a premier energy practice serving oil and gas, power, and renewables clients across transactions, regulatory, and litigation. Overlaps with Oliva Gibbs on Houston energy-transactions work but at substantially greater scale and broader sector coverage.
• Frost Brown Todd: Mid-sized full-service law firm with an established energy practice serving Appalachian Basin and other upstream oil and gas clients. Comparable in size, basin focus, and mix of services for upstream operators and PE-backed ventures.
• Liskow & Lewis: Louisiana-based law firm with a deep oil and gas, energy, and environmental practice serving operators in the Gulf Coast and Haynesville regions. Comparable in oil and gas specialization, basin focus, and service mix including title, transactions, and litigation.

Broad incumbents

• Holland & Knight: National full-service law firm with a sizable energy and natural resources practice serving oil and gas operators and PE sponsors. Comparable on energy transactions and title-related work, but offers a much broader range of practice areas and significantly larger scale.
• King & Spalding: Global law firm with a top-tier energy practice covering oil and gas transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters. Comparable in serving large upstream and PE-backed clients, but operates at much greater scale and with broader sector breadth.
• BakerHostetler: National full-service law firm with a substantial energy practice representing oil and gas operators on transactions, regulatory, and litigation matters. Comparable client base in upstream oil and gas, but operates as a much larger, diversified firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OG_EnergyLaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVJSmhtuiUW4LP1mnh0LWQQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oliva-gibbs
• Instagraminstagram.com/og_dirtlawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oliva Gibbs