West Associates

Before coming to West & Associates, LLP Bree worked at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. There, she prosecuted all levels of Criminal Law, with a particular focus in Family Violence and Sexual Assault cases. It’s this experience that’s made her such an effective criminal defense attorney. Bree understands the problems her clients face and how they’re often treated. And her clients appreciate the work Bree puts forward in making sure they have the best representation possible and that their rights are protected through every step of the legal process.

Bree prides herself not only on fighting for and achieving great results for her clients, but for effecting real change in local communities that are often disenfranchised. Bree works with these communities to identify the reasons individuals often become caught in a cycle of crime, and how to break them free of that.

Bree is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is a Board member for First Choice Social Services, a non-profit organization which assists families that are affected by domestic violence, substance abuse, and teen homelessness.

Practice Areas:

Criminal Law

Family Law

Personal Injury

Education:

J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law

B.A., Howard University

Admission:

State Bar of Texas

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Afflictions:

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Board Member, First Choice Social Services

Craig is a partner at West & Associates, LLP. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1989, after receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas in 1986, and his Juris Doctor Degree in 1989 from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

Craig is admitted to practice law before all courts in the State of Texas, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the United States Court of  Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. His professional involvement has included active participation in the State Bar of Texas, and he has been nominated to become a member of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Craig is a first chair trial attorney who practices law in the areas of commercial, corporate, employment, school, intellectual property, real estate, and personal injury. He also represents local and national clients in corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions and franchisor/franchisee matters. Craig has extensive administrative law experience before the Commissioner of Education for the State of Texas. He has been involved in numerous arbitrations and mediations on behalf of these clients.

Craig has served corporations and other entities across a broad range of business disputes, torts, and civil litigation, from counseling through trial and appeal.  Craig is often engaged in complex, multidistrict litigation and coordinated state law proceedings.  Our cases typically involve multiple adversaries in federal and state courts.

Craig has become a trusted business advisor by providing practical and efficient counseling and advice to implement clients’ business strategies while solving their complex business disputes. Craig has led teams in significant matters before federal, state and bankruptcy trial and appellate courts in Texas.

A hallmark of Craig’s approach is a keen understanding of the client’s business objectives. Craig’s litigation strategy is tailored to the size of the matter, the client’s exposure or up-side, and the significance of the case to the client. Recognizing that litigation is just one part of a larger business strategy, Craig evaluates early exit options such as motions to dismiss, settlement, or summary judgment, as well as indemnification by third parties or insurance to minimize costs.

Practice Area;

Commercial Litigation

Corporate Law

Employment Law

Intellectual Property

Personal Injury

Real Estate Law

School Law

Representative Cases:

Twin Peaks Waco litigation in a Dallas County, Texas, MDL Court

Gary Edwards, Carter Cowboys life story rights purchase agreement

Domain Enterprises TGI Fridays

Eductions:

J.D., St. Mary’s University, 1989

B.A., Southern Methodist University, 1986

Professional History:

Partner – Barker, Capua & Unell, P.C.

Associate – Law Office of Earl Luna, P.C.

Admission:

State Bar of Texas

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Supreme Court of the United States of America

Afflictions:

Dallas Bar Association

Texas Bar Foundation Nominee

DeAnne was admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1992 and the State Bar of Texas in 1994 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Spelman College in 1987 and her Juris Doctorate from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1991.

DeAnne (affectionately known as Dee Dee) has twenty years of experience in Civil Litigation.  She has worked as a Regional Attorney for the Texas Dept. of Protective Services/Child Protective Service representing the Department in Family Court and Civil District Court on behalf of Texas’ abused and neglected children.  Dee Dee also worked as a first chair trial attorney for the State Bar of Texas representing the Commission for Lawyer Discipline in the prosecution of attorney professional misconduct cases. Dee Dee’s former law firm experience has allowed her to practice in the areas of Insurance Defense and General Civil Litigation in both State and Federal court; allowing her to try numerous cases as lead counsel and to pick a number of  juries over the years.

Dee Dee is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of Texas and is admitted before the Northern District of Texas.  She is a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association, the Dallas Bar Association and is a past board member of the African American Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Dee Dee is an active member of her church and serves on the usher board and volunteers her time to the less fortunate.  She is the proud mom of two sons, Jordan and Jason.

Most people never want to be involved in a lawsuit. It’s a simple, but powerful notion that Diana keeps at the forefront of her mind while working with her clients. It’s also why Diana places so much importance on being accessible, to answer her clients’ questions and put their minds at ease. For her, it’s not just part of the job, it is the job.

In 1990, Diana joined West & Associates, LLP where she focuses her practice in Civil Litigation and Personal Injury. She believes the courtroom is where she’s able to do the most good for her clients, and throughout her career she’s garnered considerable trial experience. She is admitted to practice law before all courts in the State of Texas, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District. Diana is also a member of several professional and civic organizations. These include the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Texas Young Lawyers Association, The Association of American Trial Lawyers and the Dallas Bar Association.

In her community, Diana has served on the Legal Advisory Committee of the First Baptist Church Dallas. She is an active member of the Oak Cliff Chapter of Lions International, where she’s served two terms as Director. Diana has also served on the District level as a two-term Director of the Lion’s Foundation for Shadow Children. She has been a Member of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce and has served that organization as Vice President. She has also served two terms as President of the Kessler Park Neighborhood Association in Dallas.

Colón is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. His emphasis is in all forms of public finance, commercial transactions, corporations, partnerships, commercial lending, real estate and secured (asset based) transactions, mergers and acquisitions, asset purchase agreements, employment matters, contract drafting and negotiation, and other related corporate and business matters.

Until 2003, Mr. Colón was employed as Senior Counsel with Bechtel Corporation, a global engineering-construction organization that provides technical, management and related services to develop, manage, engineer, build and operate installations for customers worldwide.  His emphasis was in the negotiation of multi-million dollar engineering, procurement and construction contracts for pipeline, petroleum and chemicals projects in the United States and Latin America.

Michael represents the Firm’s Public Finance Section in the Houston office. He has served as Co?Bond Counsel, Disclosure Counsel, and Underwriters’ Counsel in municipal financing matters related to the Houston Independent School District, Harris County, the City of Houston’s Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department, Combined Utility System, and Airport System, as well as Cy?Fair Independent School District, the City of Beaumont, Texas, and the City of Shreveport. These transactions involve a variety of complex financing strategies including independent school district bonds, refundings, variable-rate and fixedrate issues, general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, certificates of obligation, and commercial paper programs.

Michael participates in several closings as lead attorney for the Firm in the Greater Houston area and assisted in other transactions in the Greater Dallas area.

Nicole was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2002 after receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from the University of Houston in 1996 and her Juris Doctorate Degree from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law now the Texas A&M School of Law in 2001.

She is a first chair trial attorney as well as a certified mediator. In the past, Nicole has worked in the areas of ad valorem tax collection, complex commercial litigation, personal injury, public finance, school law, and social security disability. Nicole is admitted to practice law before all courts in the State of Texas as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. She is a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association, L. Clifford Davis Legal Society, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce.

Nicole has been a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2013 where she has served on the Public Health, Defense and Veteran Affairs, Business and Industry, Local and Consent Calendar, and General Investigating and Ethics committee for which she currently serves as the Vice-Chair. She is also an active member in her church and a member of the YMCA Southeast Board of Managers.

Royce is the Managing Partner of West & Associates, LLP and has been practicing law for nearly 40 years. His experience extends to several practice areas, including—

• Civil Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Criminal Law
• Personal Injury
• Public Finance
• Real Estate Law
• School Law

He is licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Northern District of Texas, and the State of Texas.

Despite his career as an attorney, most know Royce as the state senator representing the people of the 23rd Senatorial District.  Since being elected in 1992, Royce has used his position as a state senator to make life better, not only for his constituents, but people all across Texas. He was instrumental in establishing the University of North Texas at Dallas and the University of North Texas School of Law, and helped to create the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University.

Texas Monthly has named him as one of the 25 most powerful people in Texas politics, and has made the magazine’s “Ten Best Legislators in Texas” list, which is published once every other year.  He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Higher Education Senate Committee and serves as a member of the Administration, Education and Finance committees.

Tonya was admitted to the Texas State Bar in 1997, and the New Jersey State Bar in 1995 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Spelman College in 1992, and her Juris Doctor Degree from Temple University School of Law in 1995. She has also earned a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from The University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy in 2017. Her legal experience includes serving as an Assistant Regional Attorney for the Texas Department of Human Services, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, and private practice.

Today, her primary area of practice is Public Finance. She has been involved in the financing and development of local school districts, cities, transportation providers, tollway authorities, housing providers, higher education authorities, hospitals, and airports as Bond, Disclosure, Issuer’s and Underwriters’ Counsel across the state of Texas.

Tonya is admitted to practice before all courts of the States of Texas and New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Her professional involvement includes membership in the National Association of Bond Lawyers.

Tonya is the mother of two girls and an active member in Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Single Mothers Interchanging Love, Empathy and Support (S.M.I.L.E.S.), and The IMPACT Movement.

Twana Allen leads the firm’s Family Law section, which includes custody and divorce matters, as well as adoptions. She is also a court-appointed advocate for children in the Dallas family courts and a certified mediator.

Twana understands that clients who need legal representation for family law matters are often experiencing one of the most emotional and life-altering experiences of their lives. Her primary role as their attorney and advocate is to decrease their anxiety about what they’re going through. It’s her job to counsel them on the law so they can navigate through the difficult decisions they’re asked to make.

In Twana’s role as an impartial mediator, her goal is to help parties find a resolution that works best for them, which reduces the time, expense, and tension that comes with a trial before a judge or jury. Whether she is representing a parent or a child in litigation or mediating, she is always conscious of the immediate need to bring an end to adversarial situations.

Twana graduated from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. She loves traveling, cooking, and wine, and at one point considered becoming a sommelier. The pandemic has led her to become a “plant mom,” which has proven to be very therapeutic. Twana has several nieces and nephews she spoils with every opportunity, and she’s passionate about the children she’s appointed to represent.

Veretta was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1995 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1991 and her Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1995. Her legal experience includes serving as an Associate at Jenkens & Gilchrist, Associate Counsel at FirstPlus Financial, Inc., Senior Counsel at Snelling and Snelling, Inc. and in private practice at Frazier, Esq. Over the years, she has practiced in the areas of Franchise Law, Commercial and Employment Litigation, and has drafted, revised and negotiated software licensing agreements, commercial real estate leases, and various other commercial contracts.

Veretta currently practices in the Firms Commercial Litigation and School Law and Employment Litigation practice groups. In the Commercial Litigation and Employment Litigation practice groups, she represents Firm clients in commercial disputes in both state and federal court. In the School Law practice group, Veretta is responsible for providing employment law services to school districts, including contested cases, administrative proceedings before the Texas Education Agency, and appeals in state and federal court.

Veretta is admitted to practice law before all courts in the State of Texas. She is also a member of the J.L. Turner Legal Association, where she served as an officer. Veretta is an active member of her church, a wife, and a mother of six beautiful children.

Louis A. Bedford, IV, focuses his practice in the areas of Election Law and Voting Rights Law. Louis knows the scales of justice tip in favor of those with power and influence, and he pledges to use his his knowledge to balance the odds. He is a dedicated advocate to understands that the key to having a true representative democracy is making sure that the people are empowered with the information they need to have control over their own lives, but also making sure people have a voice in a system that actively tries to keep people voiceless.

Poverty and disenfranchisement have crippling and truly traumatic impacts on people who have to endure, and he works to bring communities and groups together, as he believes solidarity and community can create a revoluntionary change to the world around us.

Those who work with Louis see his tireless dedication and his desire to do as much as he possibly can to help those around him. Louis’s background as a caregiver has informed how he operates and interacts with the world, and he brings that perspective with him to every case and task.

Louis is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas. When he is not working, he enjoys movies, traveling, and spending time with those he cares about the most.