article by Stephanie Hobby | photos by Seth Kroft

Billings-based AVA Law Group is a relatively new firm, having launched less than six years ago, but it is already making its mark on the local, state, and national legal landscape. With the guiding principle of "The people against the powerful," AVA is dedicated to giving personal injury victims a voice, particularly in cases of sexual assault and domestic violence. With a client roster including victims of P. Diddy, Boy Scouts of America, and Marines exposed to Camp Lejeune's toxic water supply, AVA's goal is to ensure that justice is served when clients are at their most vulnerable. 

The founder of AVA, Andrew Van Arsdale, is a Billings native and graduate of Central High School. After college in Bozeman, he worked in marketing for law firms, eventually moving to California for law school and starting to practice in San Diego. Despite being over a thousand miles away from his hometown, Van Arsdale remained committed to helping people in the Treasure State. After observing how large mass tort cases were handled, he believed he could do things differently while providing better victim outcomes. 

Early on, he had the opportunity to partner with other organizations that were investigating claims of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America, and it turned out to be a pivotal moment for the nascent law firm. 

Today, AVA and their partners represent between 16,000 and 17,000 clients against the Boy Scouts of America. One of those clients was also a Marine veteran who had been exposed to toxic drinking water while stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, which led to another mass tort filing on behalf of those injured by water there, cementing AVA's status as a national mass tort leader, uniquely based in Billings. 

"We are the only firm in Montana to have this level of a national mass tort practice," said Teague Westrope, a partner with AVA, crediting the founder. 

"Andrew really is the visionary. It's his vision, persistence, and drive, going back to 2019, that really created this amazing practice here," Westrope said. "I've been very blessed the last three years to be a part of it and be a part of that growth, both locally and statewide and nationally. But at its core, it's about helping people and giving people a voice against the powerful." 

Seeking justice for sexual assault victims is one of the central missions of the firm. Westrope played a key role in developing new legislation to better protect potential victims and prosecute and punish perpetrators more aggressively. While serving as a prosecutor, Westrope observed firsthand the effects of lax sexual assault laws. At the time, non-violent sexual assaults were classified as misdemeanors, and even for multiple offenses, the punishments did not adequately reflect the severity of the crime. 

"You could commit 50 sexual assaults, and it would only be a misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail. Our laws for animal cruelty were tougher than laws against sexual assault. So, I drafted a bill that would create enhanced penalties for repeat offenders." While the bill first failed in committee, it passed two years later, dramatically changing the landscape for sexual assault survivors. Today, a third offense is a felony and carries increased penalties. 

"At my core, I feel a calling to help people who have been wronged by others. I felt that way in my prosecution years, fighting for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and I still feel called to help the little guy, so to speak, and to give people a voice against the more powerful," 

-Teague Westrope 

Westrope and AVA partner Kasodie West are Skyview High School graduates who completed law school at the University of Montana. West agrees that her goal in practicing law is to help hold people accountable and ensure that victims receive the justice they deserve. "I think that personal injury attorneys get a bad rep sometimes," she said. "We're kind of called ambulance chasers, but that's not at all what we do; that's the stigma that we're trying to break. And we're making the world a better place for ourselves and for our kids." 

West started in criminal and family law, working closely with Child Protective Services and negligence cases. She felt the work was rewarding and has since moved into more domestic violence and sexual abuse cases. "It's just raising awareness that this happens and providing people with the tools to protect themselves," West said. "That principle runs across the entirety of our practice, holding people accountable when they've wronged you and standing up and saying 'Enough is enough.'" 

The group now employs 40 people and needed more space for everyone. Earlier this year, another law firm was in the process of vacating offices on the 15th floor of the First Interstate Bank building, which was ideal for AVA's growing needs. However, the partners say that no matter how big they get, they will never forget who they work for. 

"We are really trying to level the playing field for people who on their own, can't stand up for themselves in certain situations," Westrope said. 

Originally printed in the May 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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