A McAlester Practice Built on Preparation and Access
Foundation Law, P.L.L.C. is the practice of Wesley J. Cherry, a former Oklahoma prosecutor who represents Eastern Oklahoma clients in state, federal, and tribal courts.
Legal Representation for Eastern Oklahoma
The legal system is difficult to navigate on purpose, and most people meet it once or twice in a lifetime at a bad moment. Foundation Law exists to make that process legible: to explain what is happening, protect your rights, and prepare the case thoroughly.
The firm is a general practice serving individuals and families across Eastern Oklahoma in criminal defense, personal injury and wrongful death, family law, and civil litigation. Every matter is handled personally by Wes Cherry, from the first phone call through the final order. There is no handing your file down to someone you have never met.
Foundation Law serves clients in Atoka, Checotah, Eufaula, McAlester, Poteau, and Sallisaw, with admissions spanning Oklahoma state courts, four federal districts, the Tenth Circuit, and four tribal nations. In this region a single matter can move between all three court systems, and the firm is built to follow it.
McAlester, OK 74502
Wesley J. Cherry, Attorney in McAlester, Oklahoma
Wesley J. Cherry founded Foundation Law, P.L.L.C. to give people in Eastern Oklahoma direct access to an attorney who has argued cases from both sides of the courtroom.
From prosecutor to defense attorney
After sitting for the Oklahoma bar, Wes went to work for the State of Oklahoma as an assistant district attorney. Prosecuting cases teaches things no classroom covers: how charging decisions actually get made, which files a district attorney is prepared to try and which ones they would rather resolve, and how a case is built before a defendant ever sees it. He carried that knowledge with him when he moved to a small firm in McAlester, and then when he opened Foundation Law.
That background shapes how the firm handles a case. Reviewing a charge as a former prosecutor means looking for the weaknesses the State already knows about, rather than waiting to discover them at trial.
Education
Wes earned an A.B. from Duke University in 2003, with a double major in Economics and Philosophy. He received his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 2006.
Where he is admitted to practice
Foundation Law handles matters in a wider set of courts than most firms in the region, which matters in Eastern Oklahoma where a single incident can fall under state, federal, or tribal jurisdiction depending on where it happened and who was involved.
- Oklahoma State District Courts
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Chickasaw Nation District Court
- Cherokee Nation District Court
- Choctaw Nation District Court
- Muscogee (Creek) Nation District Court
Since the Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, jurisdiction in this part of the state is a threshold question in a large share of criminal cases. Being admitted in four tribal nations and in federal court means a case does not have to be handed off when that question comes up.
Peer recognition
Wes holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a 5.0 out of 5.0 peer review rating issued in 2017. Peer review ratings reflect the confidential opinions of other lawyers and judges, not case outcomes.
Bar admission
Wesley J. Cherry is licensed by the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Bar Association number 22851.
Outside the office
Wes grew up in Muldrow, Oklahoma. In high school he competed in quiz bowl and speech and debate, and played in the band. Away from work he follows college sports and space exploration, plays Magic the Gathering and video games, and drives.
Talk with Wes directly
Foundation Law is a solo practice, which means the attorney who answers your questions is the attorney who handles your case. Call (918) 839-6353 or use the contact form to request a consultation.
Reading before you call
If you would rather understand the process before speaking to anyone, the guides to Oklahoma criminal, family, injury, and civil procedure cover what happens at each stage, and the answers to the questions asked most often cover the rest.
Education
- A.B., Duke University, 2003. Economics and Philosophy
- J.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, 2006
Admissions
- Oklahoma State District Courts
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- Chickasaw Nation District Court
- Cherokee Nation District Court
- Choctaw Nation District Court
- Muscogee (Creek) Nation District Court
Recognition
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent, 5.0 out of 5.0 peer review rated, 2017
- Avvo Rating 9.0, Clients’ Choice Award 2023
- Oklahoma Bar Association #22851
Eastern Oklahoma, in Three Court Systems
Foundation Law appears in district courts across Pittsburg, Sequoyah, McIntosh, Latimer, Bryan, Atoka, Haskell, Pushmataha, and Muskogee Counties, in the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation district courts, and in federal court.
Talk directly with Wes about your case
Calls come to the attorney who would handle your matter, not to an intake center.