Michael L. Beatty

As one the founders of the firm, Mike Beatty brings over four decades of experience representing clients in the energy industry, with a career that began during the chaotic aftermath of natural gas deregulation in the late 1970s. Although now retired, Mike’s legacy and leadership still looms large at the firm that bears his name. A first-chair litigator in some of the industry’s most consequential legal battles, Mike has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in complex matters, including a $549 million antitrust verdict, the only successful commercial impracticability case, and several landmark force majeure victories for pipeline operators.

Mike’s energy law background runs deep, with experience in both regulatory litigation and commercial deals. He served as lead defense counsel in a sweeping qui tam case over gas measurement on federal and Indian lands—a high-stakes matter involving nearly the entire pipeline industry. After securing a successful dismissal, and the court awarded substantial attorneys’ fees to the defendants. He also earned a unanimous, 9-0 victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in Donald J. Willy v. Coastal Corporation.

Before co-founding Beatty & Wozniak, Mike held executive legal positions at some of the industry’s major players, including serving as General Counsel and Executive Vice President at The Coastal Corporation and General Counsel at Colorado Interstate Gas. He also served as Chief of Staff to Colorado Governor Roy Romer, providing him with a deep understanding of how the government and industry intersect.

A passionate advocate for U.S. energy independence, Mike views energy as the defining thread of global history — from the oil fields of East Texas to the collapse of the Soviet Union. As he likes to say, “the history of the world can be defined as the history of energy.” He believes natural gas plays a crucial role in transitioning to the New Energy Economy and remains engaged in the industry’s future.