Culp & Kelly, LLP/CK Blueshift

What Culp & Kelly, LLP/CK Blueshift does

Culp & Kelly, LLP is a Phoenix, Arizona-based law and policy firm founded in 2000 that operates alongside its wholly-owned subsidiary CK Blueshift, LLC as a joint enterprise delivering integrated legal, policy, and technical solutions for water, environmental, and natural resource management across the American West. The firm serves a diversified client base including municipalities, water agencies, NGOs, philanthropic foundations, investment firms, industrial and energy companies, tribal communities, and agricultural interests, with active engagements across Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Montana, Texas, and Washington, as well as binational U.S.-Mexico work on the Colorado River.

The core legal practice spans Water Law & Policy, Climate Change & Water Risk, Natural Resources, Environmental Law, Strategic Advice, and Agency & Congressional Relations, delivered by six partners (Managing Partners Peter W. Culp and Joan Card, plus Kelly J. Kennedy, Emily E. Lewis, Matthew L. Rojas, and Laura S. Ziemer) along with Of Counsel Caylin J. Barter and Partner Emeritus Mary E. Kelly. CK Blueshift extends the offering with senior scientists and a director providing climate analysis, geospatial tools, OpenET satellite data integration, and strategic facilitation. The firm's productized offerings include the BlueCommons non-profit blue bank platform, a geospatial analysis tool for agricultural water-use quantification (initially deployed in New Mexico via a Thornburg Foundation commission), a Federal Funding Database tracking Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act opportunities, and the Ripple Effect podcast.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a quote-based, engagement-letter model with multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm of approximately 14 professionals operates without outside institutional investors and relies on direct client engagement, thought leadership publications (40+ from 2000-2024), and conference presence for demand generation. Notable marquee outcomes include negotiation of five international Minutes to the U.S.-Mexico Treaty, leadership in the Colorado River Delta restoration binational coalition, and contributions to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act that expanded tribal water infrastructure funding.

Name

Culp & Kelly, LLP/CK Blueshift

Legal name

Culp & Kelly, LLP

Website

https://culpkelly.law

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Culp & Kelly, LLP is a Phoenix-based law and policy firm operating with subsidiary CK Blueshift to deliver integrated legal, policy, and technical solutions for water, environmental, and natural resource management across the American West, serving municipalities, NGOs, foundations, tribal communities, and investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental & Water Law Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), ESG, Sustainability Reporting & Compliance (BPAEAPAM), Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)

Keywords

• Water law services
• Environmental law advisory
• Natural resource policy
• Climate risk consulting
• Water rights transactions

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal and Policy Advisory Services: Professional legal services providing legal counsel, strategic advice, representation, and advocacy on water, environmental, and natural resource law and policy matters. Services are provided to municipalities, water agencies, industrial companies, developers, investment firms, NGOs, and foundations on a fee-for-service basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Culp & Kelly, LLP is a mission-driven law and policy firm that provides legal representation, strategic advice, and policy advocacy on water, environmental, and natural resource matters in the American West. Through its subsidiary CK Blueshift, LLC, the firm also delivers scientific, technical, and analytical capabilities including climate science, geospatial analysis, and conservation finance. The joint enterprise serves municipalities, water agencies, NGOs, foundations, tribes, investment firms, and agricultural interests with customized professional service engagements.

Product overview

Culp & Kelly, LLP operates as a mission-driven law and policy firm alongside its subsidiary CK Blueshift, LLC, together forming a joint enterprise that offers integrated legal, policy, and technical solutions for water, environmental, and natural resource management in the American West. The portfolio includes: the core Culp & Kelly law firm offering legal and policy services (Water Law & Policy, Climate Change & Water Risk, Natural Resources, Environmental Law, Strategic Advice, Agency & Congressional Relations); CK Blueshift providing technical and scientific capabilities including climate science, geospatial analysis, and facilitation; BlueCommons, a non-profit blue bank for innovative water financing; a geospatial analysis tool for agricultural water use quantification; and the Ripple Effect Podcast. The products work together as an integrated service offering where the law firm handles legal and policy matters while CK Blueshift provides the technical foundation and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CK Blueshift: Subsidiary providing science, technical solutions, climate research, and analytical services for water and natural resource management challenges.
• BlueCommons

Products and services

• Water Law & Policy

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported expansion of federal funding for tribal water infrastructure through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Martin & McCoycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored the 'Ten Strategies for Climate Resilience in the Colorado River Basin' report, providing an integrated path to increase water-related climate resilience for water managers in the Colorado River Basin.
• Seven National Conservation Organizations (American Rivers, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Western Resource Advocates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint enterprise serving these organizations on Colorado River Basin climate resilience strategies. Supported development of federal funding database under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
• Thornburg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned development of geospatial analysis tool for quantifying agricultural water use in New Mexico. Engaged with stakeholders including state agencies, irrigation districts, pueblos, and NGOs.
• OpenET Collaborative (NASA, Desert Research Institute, Environmental Defense Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCK Blueshift team member Margot Molloy facilitates the OpenET collaborative developing an online platform for mapping evapotranspiration in the Western United States using satellite data.
• US Geological Survey (ASIST Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Joe Casola provides leadership and coordination for USGS Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) initiative focused on delivering science to decision makers confronting water scarcity in the Colorado River Basin.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Joe Casola supported NOAA's Climate-Equity Pilots bringing together municipal leaders to improve planning for extreme heat events. Also contributed to National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) technical synthesis reports.
• BlueCommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created and incubating BlueCommons, a first-of-its-kind non-profit blue bank that mobilizes public and private funding for water conservation and resilience in water-stressed basins, focusing initially on the Colorado River Basin.
• Water and Tribes InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of tribal, academic, and non-profit advocates working to enhance tribal capacity and advance sustainable water management. Co-authored reports and agency roadmap for universal access to clean water for tribal communities.
• Lincoln Institute of Land PolicyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeter W. Culp serves on the board of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Firm has published reports on State Trust Lands in the American West with the Institute.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Earthjustice: National nonprofit environmental law organization active on Western water, Colorado River, and federal environmental issues. Overlaps with Culp & Kelly on NGO-side representation in basin-scale water policy and federal rulemaking advocacy.
• Best Best & Krieger: California-based law firm with a nationally recognized water practice serving public agencies, irrigation districts, and municipalities. Directly comparable on water-rights transactions, groundwater management (SGMA), and municipal water utility advisory work.
• Lynker Technologies: Scientific and technical consulting firm with deep expertise in water resources, hydrology, and climate analysis. Comparable to the CK Blueshift subsidiary on technical/analytical water work and shares personnel lineage (Dr. Cam Wobus previously at Lynker).
• Holland & Hart: Mountain West–anchored law firm with substantial water, environmental, and natural resources practices serving municipalities, energy clients, and landowners. Competes directly for Western water-rights counsel and environmental regulatory work.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Large Western US law firm with one of the most prominent water law and natural resources practices in the country, including Colorado River and binational matters. Directly competes with Culp & Kelly on water-rights transactions and policy matters for municipalities, tribes, and developers.
• Stratus Consulting (now Abt Associates): Environmental and climate-change consulting firm with water-resource and climate-economics practice. Comparable to CK Blueshift on quantification and monetization of climate impacts on water resources.

Emerging players

• Western Resource Advocates: Western US environmental advocacy organization that both partners with Culp & Kelly on basin policy and competes for foundation and donor mind-share in the Western water space.
• Environmental Defense Fund: Major environmental NGO and partner on OpenET and Colorado River Basin climate resilience work. Overlaps as both a client/collaborator and as an adjacent organization publishing water-policy research with which Culp & Kelly competes for influence.
• Pacific Institute: Oakland-based water research and policy nonprofit producing influential reports on Colorado River, US-Mexico water, and global freshwater issues. Comparable as a thought-leadership and policy-analysis peer, though not a direct legal competitor.

Regional players

• Sonoran Institute: Regional nonprofit focused on conservation, water management, and community development in the Western US/Mexico borderlands. Comparable on binational Colorado River Delta restoration work and Western water conservation program design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culp-kelly-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Culp & Kelly, LLP/CK Blueshift