Gunner West
Associate

Effective legal counsel starts with a clear view of the business behind each transaction. I work closely with clients to understand their commercial objectives, risk tolerance and key value drivers, crafting legal strategies that are fully aligned with and advance their broader business goals.

Gunner West is an associate in Gray Reed’s Corporate/M&A practice group, where he advises private equity sponsors and privately held companies on middle-market acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, project development and a broad range of general corporate and commercial matters. His practice spans the energy and energy services, industrial and manufacturing, real estate and business services sectors.

Drawing on his business and finance background from UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business, Gunner approaches transactions with a practical, commercially focused perspective. He works closely with clients to evaluate risk, structure efficient solutions and translate business priorities into clear, workable deal terms.

During law school, Gunner was a member of the South Texas Law Review and served as editor in chief of the Energy Newsletter for the Harry L. Reed Oil & Gas Law Institute. He regularly competed in the school’s nationally recognized moot court program and in negotiation competitions. He joined Gray Reed full time after working as a summer associate and law clerk.

Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Named a Top Author in JD Supra's Reader's Choice Awards (2026)
  • Lylene Pilkenton Award, which is awarded annually to the law student who demonstrates “superior academic performance and outstanding leadership ability” in law school initiatives (2023) 
  • CALI Academic Awards (for earning the highest grade in class):
    • Agency & Partnership
    • Constitutional Law
Organizational Involvement

Professional Organizational Involvement

  • Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Houston
    • Committee Member, Young Professionals (2026 – present)
  • Houston Young Lawyers Association
    • Committee Co-Chair, Golf Committee (2025 – present)
    • Committee Co-Chair, Clay Shoot Competition (2023)
  • The Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court, Associate Member

Community Organizational Involvement

  • Texas Horse Society, Board Member (2025 – present)
Education
  • J.D., cum laude, South Texas College of Law Houston (2024)
  • B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin (2021)
Bar Admission
  • Texas
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Trying (and failing) to out-walk Winston, my golden retriever
  • Building a wine collection under the guise of “long-term investing”
  • Donating a steady supply of golf balls to Memorial Park