We are a family-run business with 16 years of experience working with clients in the Bay Area.
MEET OUR TEAM
Brian Miles
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When disasters occur and insurance companies are slow to recognize their contract obligations to their policyholders, Brian knows how to step in and fight for his clients’ rights. When conflicts arise between neighbors, or in connection with real estate sales, he knows how to either work collaboratively on joint solutions or go to battle in litigation.
Brian lives in Lafayette with his wife, Luisa, and their three boys.
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office. 925-938-4500 x2
cell. 925-330-3255
Joel Westbrook
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Joel handles the full spectrum of insurance coverage issues, including all first-party property losses such as fire and water intrusion claims. He is also frequently hired as coverage counsel in complex, third-party liability matters involving the duty to defend, such as construction defect cases or environmental actions. He further represents insureds on title insurance claims, such as easement disputes.
Because everyone needs insurance, one of the things Joel enjoys most about insurance law is the sheer variety of his daily practice. On any given day, he’s helping individual homeowners recover from wildfire or landslide losses, working with businesses that need a defense from their insurers in complex, multiparty litigation, or assisting a range of other entities – for example, churches or homeowners associations -- with their property and liability claims. In addition to his wide experience representing policyholders in state and federal court, Joel also represents insureds in appraisals and other alternate dispute resolution processes.
Joel’s insurance practice, however, is not limited to litigation. Policyholders also hire him to help facilitate their claims, especially when the insurer is reluctant to pay all that is fairly owed or is resisting its defense obligation. The depth of his experience as an insurance attorney frequently gives him the ability to maximize the value of his clients’ claims and/or secure their defense without ever having to file a lawsuit, a skill that often has him brought in as co-counsel by other attorneys who need to untangle insurance issues for their clients.
In addition, Joel has an active real estate practice that encompasses residential nondisclosure, partition, construction defect, landslides, mechanic’s liens, commercial and residential lease disputes, encroachments, prescriptive easements, and adverse possession, and he has successfully litigated these cases both in court and in private arbitration. He also handles a broad array of other property-related matters, ranging from solar panel fraud to HOA fights to timeshare contract releases and view & boundary disputes. As with his insurance practice, Joel’s real estate work is not limited to litigation, and he frequently assists his clients with transactional issues as well, such as drafting or reviewing purchase agreements for personal or commercial property.
Joel relishes his line of work because he enjoys helping both people and businesses succeed. He has an open-door policy for both individuals and businesses in the community who may need legal services and offers a free initial consultation to anyone who could use his expertise.
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office. 925-938-4500 x1
cell. 925-487-1803
J. Garret Deal
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Garret graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California (2002) and the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (2006). Before joining Miles Westbrook & Deal, he defended petrochemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers and was defense counsel for insurance companies before becoming a partner in a small firm focused on representing local businesses and individuals. He lives with his wife and three children in Lafayette.
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office. 925-938-4500 x4
cell. 925-708-1470
Brian Miles is a trial lawyer who has been practicing law in California since 1997. While he has handled all kinds of civil disputes during his many years of work, he specializes in resolving problems for property owners. When landslides occur, he has a long history of success in litigation and obtaining the money his clients need to perform repairs. When contractors perform poorly for their clients and construction defects exist, he knows how to efficiently and strategically get his clients out of trouble.
Joel Westbrook is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has been a litigator in California since 1998. He has successfully litigated cases in state and federal courts throughout California and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as well. His primary practice areas are in insurance, real estate, and commercial litigation. He is devoted to advocating for the rights of policyholders when insurance companies fail to honor their contractual obligations.
Garret Deal has been practicing law in California since 2007 and is a fourth-generation California attorney. He represents individuals, property owners and businesses in a variety of legal matters including property disputes, business formation and transactions, probate, estate planning and personal injury matters. Garret works closely with his clients to solve legal problems efficiently and effectively both before and during litigation.
Luisa Miles
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office. 925-938-4500
admin@mileswestbrook.com
Luisa graduated from UCLA in 1992 and earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1997. She began her legal career at a real property law firm in Redwood City where she advised Homeowners Association Board of Directors and represented homeowners in construction defect litigation. She later transitioned into a consulting role at Nextel Communications.
After taking time away from her career to raise her three sons, Luisa worked at the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, deepening her ties to the local business community. She has since returned to the practice of law and currently plays a key role at the firm, overseeing staff training and firm administration in addition to her legal work.
Originally from Peru, Luisa is a native Spanish speaker. Outside of work, she enjoys running, playing pickleball, and traveling. She is also an active volunteer in her community.