What Hinkle Shanor does

Hinkle Shanor LLP is a privately held, full-service law firm founded in 1888 in Roswell, New Mexico, and structured as a New Mexico limited liability partnership. It operates from three offices across the state (Roswell, Santa Fe, Albuquerque) with 11-50 employees, serving enterprise clients in the Permian Basin and broader Southwest. Its practice is anchored in natural resources law - oil and gas title examination, transactions, regulatory matters before agencies such as NMPRC, BLM, and FERC, and litigation - supplemented by environmental law, public utility law, medical malpractice defense, tort and commercial litigation, government liability defense, labor and employment, and corporate services for small and growing businesses. Several partners serve as general counsel to enterprise clients and historically represented major operators such as Humble Oil & Refining (now ExxonMobil) since the 1920s.

The firm bills primarily on an hourly professional services model, with pricing tied to attorney experience and matter complexity rather than published rate cards. Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on professional reputation, third-party recognition (Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Southwest Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings), and leadership positions in the State Bar of New Mexico, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Independent Petroleum Association of NM, and New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association. Distribution is direct: clients engage through office visits, phone consultations, and the firm's website contact form, with work performed locally across New Mexico and, where engaged as co-counsel or specialist counsel, nationwide.

The firm's primary customer segments are oil and gas operators, healthcare providers (regional hospitals and large healthcare institutions), public utilities and energy companies (including cooperatives and renewable energy developers), government entities and municipalities, insurance companies requiring defense of policyholders, and small-to-mid-sized businesses across diverse industries including retail, service, industrial, and biotech. Strategically, the firm has expanded its renewable energy practice to address wind and solar siting, financing, and regulatory work, while continuing to leverage an 80+ year internal library of oil and gas title opinions as a differentiated knowledge asset.

Name

Hinkle Shanor

Legal name

Hinkle Shanor LLP

Website

https://hinklelawfirm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hinkle Shanor LLP is a privately held, full-service New Mexico law firm founded in 1888, providing natural resources, environmental, healthcare defense, public utility, and litigation legal services to oil and gas operators, hospitals, utilities, and government entities from offices in Roswell, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Natural resources law
• Oil and gas law
• Medical malpractice defense
• Commercial litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Roswell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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: Professional legal services billed primarily on an hourly fee basis for litigation, transactional work, regulatory compliance, and advisory services. The firm handles matters for diverse clients including oil and gas companies, healthcare providers, government entities, and businesses in various industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hinkle Shanor LLP is a full-service law firm that provides professional legal services across multiple practice areas including natural resources law (oil and gas, mining, water law), environmental law and litigation, public utility law, tort defense and complex commercial litigation, medical malpractice defense, corporate/business law, labor and employment law, and government liability defense. The firm primarily serves businesses, government entities, healthcare providers, and energy companies throughout New Mexico and nationwide.

Product overview

Hinkle Shanor LLP is a full-service law firm founded in 1888, providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm's offerings span core practice areas including Natural Resources Law (encompassing oil and gas, water law, mining, and renewable energy), Environmental Law (regulatory compliance and litigation), Tort Defense and Complex Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Defense, Public Utility Law, Corporate/Business Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Government Liability Defense. The firm operates through offices in Roswell, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, serving clients locally and nationwide in industries including oil and gas, energy, healthcare, agriculture, and government entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Natural Resources Law Comprehensive natural resources legal services encompassing oil and gas law, alternative energy sources, water law, mining and hard rock, and potash mining. The firm has roots in the Permian Basin region dating back to the 1920s oil boom and serves oil and gas companies, mining operators, and energy producers.
• Environmental Law Environmental compliance and litigation services including air quality, water quality, hazardous waste management, CERCLA defense, and NEPA compliance for clients in oil and gas, natural resources, and energy sectors.
• Public Utility Law Comprehensive legal services for public utilities, energy companies, and cooperatives including regulatory compliance, rate cases, acquisitions, financing, and renewable energy initiatives such as solar field development.
• Tort Defense & Complex Commercial Litigation Strategic litigation defense for businesses and government entities in state and federal courts, covering property damage, industrial accidents, product liability, premises liability, business torts, toxic torts, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith claims.
• Medical Malpractice Defense Defense of healthcare professionals and organizations against medical malpractice claims, including physicians, hospitals, and large-scale healthcare institutions, with experienced courtroom representation in state and federal courts.
• Corporate Law / Small & Growing Businesses Business attorneys counseling emerging businesses, corporations, and government entities on entity formation, taxation, control, risk management, and general corporate governance matters throughout New Mexico.
• Alternative Renewable Energy Legal counsel for wind and solar energy projects including facility siting, financing, power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements, and regulatory navigation for public utilities and energy companies.
• Mining & Hard Rock Natural resources legal services for mining operations including title examination, contract preparation, permitting, filing and perfecting claims, and regulatory agency interactions throughout the Southwest.
• Oil & Gas Litigation Comprehensive oil and gas litigation services including disputes over leasing, royalties, title, ownership, surface contamination, exploration, drilling, production, and environmental regulatory matters in the Permian Basin.
• Oil & Gas Regulatory Matters Regulatory compliance counsel for petroleum and natural gas producers, refiners, and service companies before agencies including the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division, Bureau of Land Management, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• Oil & Gas Title Examination

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State Bar of New MexicocoreOthersProfessional association membership; attorneys serve in leadership roles including President (Andrew Cloutier 2013), Board of Bar Commissioners, and Client Protection Fund
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttorneys serve as Trustees and Faculty members; provides continuing legal education and industry resources for natural resources and energy law
• Independent Petroleum Association of New MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJared Hembree serves on Board of Directors; attorneys participate in educational programs and industry initiatives
• New Mexico Oil and Gas AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouglas Lunsford chaired Public Lands Committee from 1986-2006; supports industry education and advocacy
• New Mexico Landmen's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJared Hembree served in various capacities; supports professional development and industry standards
• American Association of Professional LandmenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJared Hembree served in various capacities; professional organization for oil and gas land professionals
• New Mexico Defense Lawyers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbuquerque attorneys including Kathleen Wilson have served as President; provides defense-focused legal education and networking

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Holland & Hart: Mountain West full-service firm with deep natural resources, energy, and environmental practices; competes with Hinkle Shanor on Permian-adjacent and broader Southwest energy matters as a larger, multi-state incumbent.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: National firm with strong energy, natural resources, public lands, and government practices; competes for higher-end oil and gas regulatory and policy work touching New Mexico and the broader Southwest.
• Greenberg Traurig: Global full-service firm with a sizable energy and natural resources group and an Albuquerque presence; competes with Hinkle Shanor for larger enterprise and government engagements in New Mexico.
• Bracewell LLP: National firm with a market-leading energy practice representing oil and gas majors; competes for high-stakes oil and gas regulatory and litigation work across the Southwest.

Regional players

• Snell & Wilmer: Southwest-based full-service firm with offices across the region and strong natural resources and healthcare practices; competes with Hinkle Shanor for multi-state clients with Southwest exposure.
• Lewis Roca: Southwest regional firm with comparable practices in energy, litigation, and government; overlaps with Hinkle Shanor in serving regional enterprises and energy clients in the Southwest.
• Jackson Walker: Texas-based full-service firm with a leading oil and gas practice; the most relevant peer for Permian Basin operators that may also engage Hinkle Shanor on New Mexico-specific title and regulatory matters.

Direct peers

• Modrall Sperling: Largest law firm headquartered in New Mexico with a similar full-service model and major energy, natural resources, and government practices; competes directly with Hinkle Shanor for NM-based clients and counsel roles.
• Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb: Long-established Albuquerque-based full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth in litigation, healthcare, and corporate work; former employer of Hinkle Shanor's Kurt Gilbert and direct competitor for New Mexico clients.

Emerging players

• Frost Brown Todd: Mid-sized full-service firm building an energy and natural resources practice; represents a comparable scale and practice-mix peer, particularly for clients operating across multiple states.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hinkleshanor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hinkle-shanor-llp
• Instagraminstagram.com/hinkleshanorllp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Hinkle Shanor