PITTSBURGH, Pa., JULY 1, 2026 — Saxton & Stump continues its growth in Pittsburgh with the addition of shareholder Ansley “Lee” Westbrook, a litigator with more than 25 years of courtroom experience. Westbrook’s practice spans professional liability prosecution and defense, professional responsibility and licensure, and as corporate counsel to businesses and non-profit entities, as well as individuals involved in disputes related to trusts and estates and shareholder matters. Westbrook joins the firm’s Business Litigation and Strategic Solutions and Business and Corporate groups.
Westbrook has built an established practice representing licensed professionals, including attorneys, physicians, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists, before civil courts, administrative tribunals, and licensing boards across Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Over more than two decades, he has represented attorneys and helped professionals resolve complex disciplinary matters before formal hearings, including through negotiated DMU and VRP Consent Agreements. Where cases cannot be reasonably resolved, he has successfully litigated numerous hearings before various licensing boards. His work also includes defending white collar criminal matters involving the diversion of narcotics in the workplace.
“Lee brings substantial litigation depth and a sophisticated understanding of the challenges licensed professionals face when their careers and reputations are at stake,” said Saxton & Stump Chairman James W. Saxton. “His experience in professional responsibility and licensure matters is an exceptional addition to our Pittsburgh team and strengthens our ability to serve clients across western Pennsylvania.”
On the civil side, Westbrook spent 15 years at his prior firm as outside counsel for a national insurer, managing a substantial docket of bad faith and breach of contract litigation in federal and state courts. He has litigated more than 100 cases, and his work has contributed to precedential and non-precedential opinions dating to his early work on Lockhart v. State Farm in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Earlier in his career, Westbrook spent more than a decade as an equity partner at a full-service national law firm. His career began in public service as an Assistant District Attorney in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, where he tried more than 100 cases to verdict in the Court of Common Pleas. He has also served six years as a Hearing Committee Member serving the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, adding an insider’s perspective to his work on behalf of professionals navigating that process. Effective July 1, 2026, he was appointed to another three-year term as a Senior Hearing Committee member.
“Saxton & Stump has built a platform that allows attorneys to work collaboratively across disciplines, which is exactly how complex professional responsibility and licensure matters need to be handled,” Westbrook said. “I’m looking forward to bringing this practice to a team that shares a genuine commitment to exceptional client outcomes.”
Westbrook is a Super Lawyers® honoree, recognized annually in 2008 and 2015 through 2026, following earlier recognition as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” from 2005 to 2007.
An active presence in the Pittsburgh legal and civic community, Westbrook serves on the board of the Cultural Trust’s Three Rivers Arts Festival and volunteers with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
Westbrook earned his J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his B.S. in Health Services Administration from Ohio University.
Saxton & Stump’s strategic growth outlook
With nearly 300 professionals, including more than 150 attorneys, Saxton & Stump continues to grow through its innovative, collaborative model that attracts top legal talent. This expanding platform enhances the firm’s ability to serve clients and includes seven growing affiliated companies that extend its business advisory reach nationwide.
Saxton & Stump is a full-service law firm providing solutions to complex legal and business challenges with five-star service and results-focused advice, offering a refreshingly different experience for clients, attorneys, and business professionals alike.
