Joshua A. Cottle

Josh Cottle leads the Energy Law Practice Group in Bowles Rice’s Charleston, West Virginia office. His practice focuses on a broad range of energy and real estate matters, representing oil and gas companies, mineral owners, commercial lenders, and other industry participants throughout West Virginia and surrounding states.

Josh has extensive experience in oil and gas and other mineral title work, including certified title opinions, acquisition and divestiture due diligence, and complex mineral ownership analysis. He regularly handles large-scale mineral transactions, coal and oil and gas lease negotiations, real property tax sale issues, and public utility easement acquisition projects.

In addition to his transactional work, Josh has litigated multiple oil and gas and property-related cases before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, providing clients with strategic advocacy on complex mineral, lease, and real property disputes.

A certified underground coal miner, Josh brings first-hand knowledge of coal mining operations and industry practices to his legal work. This background enhances his ability to advise clients on matters involving coal, oil, and gas development, as well as related surface and mineral rights issues.

Josh’s practice also includes advising clients on real property agreements, surface use issues, coal and oil and gas leases, and related commercial transactions. His multidisciplinary approach allows him to guide clients from title and acquisition through development and operation.

• Member, Bowles Rice Recruiting Committee
• West Virginia Ethics Commission (Member, Board of Directors; appointed by Governor Justice in 2023)
• Legal research and writing teaching assistant (2013-2014)
• Law Clerk, Bowles Rice (2012, 2013)
• Herndon Fellowship (2011)
• Cliffs Natural Resources (2010)
• Coal miner, Patriot Coal (2008-2009)

Representative Cases

• Board of Education of Wyoming County v. Dawson, 249 W. Va. 211; 895 S.E.2d 66., No. 22-0234 (W. Va. 2023) (correcting mistakes)
• Berkeley County Council v. Government Properties Income Trust, LLC, 47 W. Va. 395; 880 S.E.2d 48, No. 20-1019 (W.Va. Sup. Ct. of App., 2022) (assessments for taxation purposes) 

• Hartman v. Putnam County Board of Education, No. 21-0765 (2022) (Open Meetings Act)

• Redd v. McDowell County Board of Education, 2022 WL 1506071 (W.Va. Sup. Ct. of App., 2022) (teacher evaluations)

• Webster County Board of Education v. Davis, No. 19-1028 (2021) (aide and ECCAT seniorities in reductions in force)

• EQT Prod. Co. v. Antero Res. Corp., 244 W. Va. 15, 851 S.E.2d 94 (2020) (recorded top lease takes priority over base lease following expiration of primary term in base lease)

• McCann v. Lincoln County Board of Education, 2020 WL 7222890 (2020) (service employee misclassification under faulty local policy)

• Mayle v. Barbour County Board of Education, 2018 WL 317375 (2018) (filling aide/ECCAT vacancies)
• West Virginia Board of Education v. Board of Education of the County of Nicholas, 239 W.Va. 705, 806 S.E.2d 136 (2017) (State Board of Education discretion)
• Lemasters v. Jackson County Board of Education, 2016 WL 2977336 (2016) (teacher duty outside the school day)
• Adkins v. Cabell County Board of Education, 2016 WL 3435749 (2016) (accused felon’s suspension)
• Staats v. Jackson County Board of Education, 2015 WL 6181438 (2015) (hours worked) 

• Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law; and Education Law (2021-present)
• Recipient of CALI Awards (recognition for achieving the highest grade in a particular subject) at West Virginia University College of Law:
• American Legal History
• Civil Rights Litigation
• Economics and the Environment
• Land Use and Sustainable Law
• Natural Resources Law

• Energy & Mineral Law Foundation
• Gas & Oil Association of WV, Inc.
• Metallurgical Coal Producers Association
• National School Boards Association - Council of School Attorney (NSBA - COSA)

• West Virginia Ethics Commission (Member, Board of Directors; appointed by Governor Justice in 2023)
• Legal Aid of West Virginia (Volunteer)
• Charleston Montessori School (Member, Board of Directors)