Cotton Bledsoe Tighe and Dawson

What Cotton Bledsoe Tighe and Dawson does

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C. is a private professional law corporation founded in 1974 in Midland, Texas, with approximately 40 attorneys organized into practice sections covering Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources (litigation, title examinations, transactions); Litigation (commercial, personal injury defense, insurance defense, product liability, toxic torts); Business and Entity Law; and Estate Planning, Probate and Trusts, plus ancillary practices in labor and employment, commercial real estate, mediation, and Texas ancillary probate. More than half of the firm's attorneys focus on oil and gas transactions and/or litigation, and over 20 hold Texas Board of Legal Specialization board certifications in areas including Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law and Estate Planning and Probate Law. The firm holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating (highest peer-review tier) and many attorneys are named Texas Super Lawyers.

The firm primarily serves the Permian Basin energy sector and surrounding West Texas/New Mexico business community, with a disclosed client roster spanning Fortune 500 oil and gas majors (ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Devon, EOG, Occidental, Apache, Anadarko), midstream operators (Kinder Morgan, Williams), oilfield services (Weatherford), insurance carriers (AIG, Allstate, Travelers), financial institutions (Bank of America, Wells Fargo), and government entities (City of Midland), down to individual clients needing estate planning and probate services. Matters are handled in Texas, New Mexico, and nationwide from the single Midland office.

The business model is professional services: clients are billed via hourly rates, fixed fees, or contingency arrangements depending on matter type, with payments processed through SurePoint Cloud. Go-to-market relies on professional reputation, peer referrals from the legal community, Martindale-Hubbell AV and Super Lawyers credentials as credibility signals, attorney-authored publications, and bar association participation rather than paid marketing. The firm is independently held with no disclosed parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investors, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe and Dawson

Legal name

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C.

Website

https://cottonbledsoe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson is a private Midland, Texas-based law firm founded in 1974 with approximately 40 attorneys, specializing in oil and gas transactions and litigation, insurance defense, and estate planning for Fortune 500 energy and financial clients across the Permian Basin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Oil and gas law
• Commercial litigation
• Insurance defense
• Estate planning
• Business law

Headquarters

HQ city

Midland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional legal fees billed to clients for legal representation in various practice areas including oil and gas transactions, litigation, business law, estate planning, insurance defense, and other legal services. Billing structures include hourly rates, fixed fees for specific services, and potentially contingency arrangements for certain litigation matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C. is a Midland, Texas-based law firm providing legal services in oil and gas (title examinations, transactions, and litigation), commercial and business litigation, commercial real estate, estate planning and probate, and insurance defense (personal injury, product liability, toxic torts, and labor/employment). The firm serves a client base spanning Fortune 500 entities, mid-sized and small businesses, and individuals, leveraging AV-rated attorneys and Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifications.

Product overview

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C. is a full-service law firm established in 1974 offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services organized into four main sections: Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources (including Oil and Gas Litigation, Oil and Gas Title Examinations, and Oil and Gas Transactions); Litigation (covering Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Defense, Insurance Defense, Product Liability Defense, and Toxic Torts Defense); Business and Entity Law; and Estate Planning, Probate and Trusts. The firm also provides supplementary services including Labor and Employment Law, Commercial Real Estate, Mediation, and Texas Ancillary Probate. The practice primarily serves the oil and gas industry in Texas and New Mexico, with clients ranging from Fortune 500 entities to individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oil and Gas Title Examinations Title examination services for oil and gas operators and mineral interest owners, providing opinions on title chains, curative work, and ownership confirmation for West Texas and Permian Basin properties. Intended for energy companies, mineral owners, and landmen.
• Oil and Gas Transactions Transactional legal services for oil and gas clients, including the drafting and negotiation of leases, joint operating agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and related instruments. Intended for operators, mineral owners, and energy-industry counterparties.
• Oil and Gas Litigation Litigation services for oil and gas matters, including trespass-to-try-title actions, royalty disputes, lease termination disputes, and other energy-industry litigation in Texas courts. Intended for operators, mineral owners, and working-interest holders.
• Business and Entity Law Legal services for business formation, governance, mergers and acquisitions, and ongoing corporate counsel. Intended for mid-sized and small business clients in West Texas.
• Commercial Litigation Representation in commercial disputes including contract, partnership, and business tort litigation. Intended for business clients in Texas courts.
• Commercial Real Estate Legal services for commercial real estate acquisitions, sales, leasing, development, and disputes. Intended for commercial property owners, developers, and tenants.
• Estate Planning, Probate and Trusts Estate planning, will drafting, trust creation, and probate administration services for individuals and families planning for the transfer of assets, including mineral interests. Intended for individual clients and families in West Texas.
• Insurance Defense Litigation Defense representation for insurance carriers and self-insured entities in liability claims. Intended for insurers, self-insureds, and insureds in Texas tort litigation.
• Labor and Employment Law Counsel on labor and employment issues for Texas employers, including workplace policies, disputes, and compliance. Intended for Texas-based employers.
• Mediation Mediation and alternative dispute resolution services provided by qualified attorneys at the firm. Intended for parties seeking to resolve disputes outside of litigation.
• Personal Injury Defense Defense representation in personal injury claims. Intended for insurance carriers, self-insureds, and defendants in personal injury matters.
• Product Liability Defense Defense representation for manufacturers and insurers in product liability litigation. Intended for product manufacturers, distributors, and their insurers.
• Texas Ancillary Probate Ancillary probate representation in Texas for out-of-state estates, including the filing of ancillary probate proceedings to transfer Texas situs property. Intended for personal representatives and beneficiaries of out-of-state decedents with Texas assets.
• Toxic Torts Defense Defense representation for defendants in toxic tort claims, including exposure and environmental injury litigation. Intended for manufacturers, premises owners, insurers, and self-insureds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defended over 17,000 product liability lawsuits nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• FindLaw (Internet Brands)supportingTechnology or IntegrationThe firm partners with FindLaw, an Internet Brands business, for website services and online presence management. FindLaw provides the platform for the firm's professional website and digital marketing infrastructure.
• SurePoint CloudsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSurePoint Cloud provides the firm's online payment processing system for invoices and retainers. The firm uses SurePoint's payment platform to accept credit card and electronic check payments from clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vinson & Elkins LLP: One of the largest global energy law practices, headquartered in Houston with deep upstream, midstream, and litigation capabilities. A larger incumbent competing for the same Permian and Fortune 500 oil and gas clients CBTD serves.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP: Texas-anchored global firm with significant oil and gas transactional, litigation, and policy capabilities. A larger incumbent whose energy and litigation groups regularly serve the same enterprise clients CBTD supports.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with a major Houston/Texas hub and substantial energy, litigation, and insurance practices. Competes for large-cap oil and gas and financial institution clients across Texas and nationwide.
• Baker Botts L.L.P. Houston-based international firm with a leading energy practice spanning transactions, litigation, and regulatory. A larger incumbent competing for the same Texas-headquartered energy clients at the upper end of the market.
• Bracewell LLP: Houston-based firm with one of the strongest oil and gas regulatory and transactional practices in the U.S. A larger incumbent whose Permian Basin work overlaps directly with CBTD's transactional and litigation offerings.

Direct peers

• Thompson & Knight LLP: Dallas-based mid-size firm historically known for its energy practice and complementary litigation, insurance, and estate planning services. Closely mirrors CBTD's mix of oil and gas transactional work and full-service offerings.
• Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP: Fort Worth-based full-service firm with established oil and gas, litigation, insurance defense, and estate planning practices. Comparable mid-market scale and practice mix centered on Texas energy and business clients.
• Jackson Walker LLP: Texas-based full-service law firm with strong oil and gas, litigation, and estate planning practices and multiple offices across the state. Most comparable in scale, geographic focus, and oil & gas transactional/trial capabilities.
• McGinnis Lochridge LLP: Austin-based Texas firm with deep energy, litigation, and administrative law capabilities. Comparable regional focus serving Texas-based oil and gas operators and energy-adjacent businesses.
• Strasburger & Price, LLP: Texas-rooted full-service firm with strong oil and gas, litigation, and corporate practices. Comparable in size and in serving a mix of regional energy operators, financial institutions, and insurers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Cotton Bledsoe Tighe and Dawson