Beatty & Wozniak Welcomes Veteran General Counsel Francis Barron as General Counsel in Residence

DENVER, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Beatty & Wozniak, P.C., a nationally recognized oil and gas, energy, and natural resources law firm, is proud to announce that Francis Barron has joined the firm as its first General Counsel in Residence.

With more than 35 years of experience, Barron is a respected corporate and securities attorney who has served as General Counsel and executive committee member for three NYSE-listed oil and gas companies: Bill Barrett Corporation, Cimarex Energy, and Coterra Energy. In these roles, he counseled boards of directors, managed legal and regulatory risks, and guided companies through IPOs, major mergers, and periods of significant growth.

As General Counsel in Residence, Barron will provide strategic counsel to Beatty & Wozniak attorneys, strengthening client service and business judgment across practice groups. He will also serve as a mentor to attorneys throughout the firm, advising leadership on opportunities for strategic growth and cross-marketing, drawing on his extensive industry network.

"After working with the exceptional attorneys and other professionals at Beatty & Wozniak for over 20 years as a client, I am excited to work with them as General Counsel in Residence," said Barron. "Helping mentor the firm's talented attorneys and working with the firm's clients allows me the opportunity to continue to bring strategic business leadership and growth to the oil and gas industry."

Firm leadership emphasized the uniqueness of this new role. "Francis brings an unmatched in-house perspective and proven industry leadership," said Bret Sumner, a member of Beatty & Wozniak's Executive Committee. "He has counseled companies of all sizes, from startups to multibillion-dollar public corporations, and understands the challenges of scaling and growing in today's energy sector. His insights will help us deliver counsel that is legally sound, commercially strategic, and deeply valuable to our clients."

Beatty & Wozniak is the first energy law firm in the nation to introduce a General Counsel in Residence role; a model pioneered only recently by two major international firms. Barron's addition reflects the firm's commitment to innovation and client-focused service in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

About Francis Barron
Barron began his career at Bearman Talesnick & Clowdus Professional Corp., and then as a partner at Patton Boggs LLP, where he co-founded the firm's corporate securities department in Denver. He later joined Bill Barrett Corporation as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, guiding the company through its IPO and dramatic growth from less than 50 employees to more than 300 employees and annual revenue of $700 million. He went on to serve as General Counsel at Cimarex Energy, helping secure investment-grade financing and leading the company through its $17 billion merger with Cabot Oil & Gas to form Coterra Energy. Most recently, he advised companies as an independent business consultant.

About Beatty & Wozniak, P.C.
Beatty & Wozniak is a leading law firm serving the oil and gas, energy, and natural resources industries with a full spectrum of legal services including regulatory, transactional, litigation, and compliance matters. With offices in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, and attorneys licensed in 18 jurisdictions across the United States, the firm combines industry expertise with innovative legal strategies to help clients succeed in complex and rapidly evolving business landscapes.

SOURCE Beatty & Wozniak