Henry N. Westesen is an Associate in the firm’s Bozeman office. He maintains a broad civil litigation practice across Montana and Wyoming, focusing on insurance defense, personal injury, construction, and environmental disputes. He represents clients in complex litigation, while also advising hospitals and healthcare providers on regulatory compliance and licensing. With extensive courtroom experience, he focuses on securing efficient resolutions for his clients but is fully prepared to take cases to trial. Having grown up in Bozeman, Henry brings local understanding and a strong sense of commitment to the Montana community.
In addition to his practice, Henry serves as a substitute pro tempore Justice of the Peace for Gallatin County. In this judicial role, he has presided over dozens of felony initial appearances and arraignments, as well as an extensive docket of misdemeanor hearings ranging from initial appearances and change-of-plea hearings to sentencing and final pretrial conferences.
Before entering private practice, Henry served as a Deputy County Attorney in Gallatin County. He prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases and appeared in court several days each week. He has tried multiple cases before a jury, argued hundreds of hearings, and developed a deep foundation in courtroom advocacy that continues to shape his litigation practice. As liaison to the Montana Highway Patrol and Bozeman Police Department, Henry provided training and legal guidance to law enforcement officers. He also served on the Domestic Violence Response Team and the High-Risk Committee, collaborating with community partners to improve safety for victims of domestic violence. During his tenure, Henry was elected Vice President of the Gallatin County Attorneys Union, where he helped negotiate improved pay and working conditions for local prosecutors.
Henry earned his J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law, where he served as a teaching assistant for Contract Law and as a group leader in the Academic Success Program mentoring first-year students. He gained practical experience as a clinical intern with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and as a legal intern with the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General’s office in Cleveland, Ohio. Henry spent a summer on the island of Rhodes, Greece, studying international arbitration, charterparty disputes, and maritime law through a Tulane University program. He later founded a Maritime Law Club at the University of Montana to encourage student engagement with federal, international, and regulatory issues.
Before law school, Henry worked in construction in Big Sky, framing large-scale residential homes with his older brother. That hands-on experience sharpened his appreciation for the practical realities underlying the construction disputes he now litigates. In practice today, Henry focuses on understanding each client’s goals, exploring every available option, and pursuing efficient, results-driven solutions.
Outside the office, Henry sings with the Bozeman Symphony Choir, plays guitar and banjo in a local band, and enjoys Montana’s outdoors through fishing, hiking, and skiing.