Modrall Sperling

What Modrall Sperling does

Modrall Sperling is a full-service law firm founded in 1936 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a secondary office in Santa Fe. Organized as a partnership, the firm employs 101–250 people and delivers legal services across 11 core practice areas — including corporate/business/finance, energy/environment/natural resources, litigation, Native American law, labor and employment, taxation, real estate, bankruptcy, trusts and estates, government relations, and nonprofit organizations — supported by 40+ sub-practice specializations. Its client base is predominantly enterprise and governmental, with documented engagements for major mining operators (Freeport McMoRan, Newmont, Goldcorp, Peabody Energy), utilities (Public Service Company of New Mexico, Tri-State Generation), the City of Albuquerque, and regional banks. A defining differentiator is the firm's nationally recognized Native American law practice, which spans representation involving 40 tribes across nearly two dozen states, supported by attorneys licensed in 10+ U.S. jurisdictions plus the Navajo Nation.

The firm monetizes through traditional hourly and engagement-based legal services pricing, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed. Its go-to-market relies on direct attorney-client relationships, brand reputation reinforced by third-party rankings (Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers), and content marketing through its website and email newsletters. Modrall Sperling's revenue model is consistent with a mid-market regional law firm: partner- and counsel-led engagements billed against time and matter complexity, with revenue derived from long-tenure enterprise relationships rather than transactional volume. The firm has grown primarily organically through practice-area buildouts (notably the 1970s tax firm acquisition that seeded its nationally ranked taxation, employment, and ERISA practices) and selective partner additions.

Operationally, the firm is led by attorney-shareholders and maintains leadership positions within state and national legal institutions, including a former president of the American Bar Association and the current president of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law. There are no disclosed subsidiaries, parent companies, public listings, or external funding rounds; the firm operates as an independent partnership with ownership distributed among its attorney-shareholders.

Name

Modrall Sperling

Legal name

Modrall Sperling

Website

https://modrall.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Modrall Sperling is a full-service New Mexico law firm founded in 1936, serving enterprise, governmental, and individual clients across energy, mining, Native American law, corporate, litigation, and real estate practices from offices in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Insolvency Law (BPAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate & Probate Administration Services (FSAEAKAD)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Corporate law
• Native american law
• Energy law
• Litigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Modrall Sperling is a full-service law firm offering a broad civil practice serving both businesses and individuals. The firm provides legal counsel across 11 practice areas including corporate and business law, public finance, energy and natural resources, real estate, complex litigation, Native American law, employment law, tax, estate planning, and bankruptcy. Services are delivered through specialized practice groups that work collaboratively from offices in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Product overview

Modrall Sperling is a full-service law firm offering a broad civil practice serving both businesses and individuals. The firm provides counsel across multiple practice areas including corporate and business law, public finance, energy and natural resources, real estate, complex litigation, Native American law, employment law, tax, estate planning, and bankruptcy. The firm's legal services are delivered through specialized practice groups that work collaboratively to serve clients in New Mexico and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Legal representation for creditors, creditor committees, trustees, and entities in bankruptcy planning, case evaluation, negotiation, and litigation, including mortgage foreclosures and UCC compliance.
• Corporate, Business and Finance Comprehensive legal services for businesses including banking, lending, entity formation, governance, private equity, venture capital, and public finance.
• Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Legal counsel covering air quality, cultural and historic resources, energy, environment, mining, oil and gas, pipelines, public lands, renewable energy, utilities, waste management, and water rights.
• Government Relations Lobbying and governmental affairs representation before the New Mexico Legislature, executive branches, and federal government.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked by Chambers USA in Corporate/Commercial and Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ballard Spahr LLP: Large national firm with a New Mexico presence and strong Native American law, energy, and public finance practices. Comparable niche overlap, but operates as a much larger, geographically diverse firm.
• Greenberg Traurig: AmLaw 100 firm with offices across the U.S. including the Southwest, offering energy, natural resources, tribal, and corporate practices that overlap with Modrall Sperling's core offerings. Broader incumbent with deeper resources.

Direct peers

• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Mountain West-headquartered (Denver) full-service law firm with closely comparable practice mix: deep energy, natural resources, water rights, government relations, and Native American law work. Most directly comparable peer given similar geography, industry focus, and practice-area breadth.
• Stinson LLP: Mid-market firm with New Mexico office and comparable energy, natural resources, banking, and corporate practices. Similar scale and similar practice-area overlap with Modrall Sperling's enterprise client base.
• Holland & Hart: Denver-based full-service firm with overlapping energy, natural resources, water, mining, and Indian law practices serving the Mountain West. Highly comparable in scale, regional focus, and practice-area mix including Native American law.
• Snell & Wilmer: Southwest/Mountain West firm with comparable full-service practice including business, energy, real estate, litigation, and tribal law; offices span Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California — closely aligned regional peer.
• Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie: Southwest/Mountain West firm with offices in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada; provides overlapping business, litigation, energy, and tribal law services. Direct regional peer with comparable geographic footprint.
• Husch Blackwell: Mid-sized firm with explicit presence in New Mexico and overlapping energy, natural resources, real estate, and corporate practices. Direct comparable for serving enterprise clients in the same regional market.
• Jackson Walker LLP: Texas-based full-service firm with strong energy, oil & gas, and natural resources practices serving the Southwest. Comparable in core industry focus (especially upstream/midstream energy and mining), although larger and broader geographically.

Regional players

• Freedman Boyd Hollander Goldberg Urias & Ward PA: Albuquerque-headquartered litigation boutique with strong New Mexico appellate, environmental, and Native American law work. Comparable in location and select practice niches, though narrower in scope than Modrall Sperling's full-service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/69466

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Modrall Sperling