Stephen L. West

Steve West joined Udall Shumway PLC in 1987.  He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University where, in 1980, he received a B.S. in Accounting with a minor in English. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Texas, 1982), and received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University in 1987. During law school, Mr. West was a Member (1985-86) and Editor-in-Chief (1986-87) of the BYU Journal of Public Law. Prior to law school, he worked with Main Hurdman (now KPMG) and with the corporate accounting group of Marriott International.

Since joining the firm, Mr. West has used his tax and accounting background to good advantage. His practice focuses on business formation, purchases and sales of business assets and interests, loan documentation and financing arrangements, business succession planning, security arrangements, purchases, sales and leases of commercial property and business dissolution. Mr. West also assists clients with tax planning for large estates and routinely provides tax and business planning advice in such diverse areas as probate, marital dissolution, deferred compensation and dispute resolution.

Practice Areas

• Business Transactions
• Estate Planning and Probate
• Tax Law

Education

• J.D., Brigham Young University, 1987
• B.S., Brigham Young University, 1980

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

• Arizona Courts
• United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• United States Tax Court

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

• State Bar of Arizona
• East Valley Bar Association
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Professional Involvement

• East Valley Estate Planning Council (Past President and Board Member)
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society – International Chair (2017-2019)

Community Involvement

• Mesa Man of the Year (2018)
• Arizona Regional Medical Center Community Board
• Maricopa Association of Governments Blue Ribbon Committee on Regional Growth (past member)
• Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant (President)
• Mesa Baseline Rotary (board of directors and president (2014-2015)
• Mesa Medical Campus Alliance founding Director
• Mesa Museum & Cultural Advisory Board (Past Member and Board Chair)
• Mesa United Way (Past Board Member and 2010-2011 Annual Campaign Co-Chair)
• Visit Mesa (Board Member and Past Board Chair)
• East Valley Partnership (Board of Directors)
• Steering Committee of Mesa Plays, a community complex for youth and amateur sports

Other Professional Designations

• Certified Public Accountant (Texas, 1982)