experience
I was born in Houston and was raised both in Houston and Austin. My singular obsession in law school was criminal law. I took every course the University of Texas School of Law offered on the subject. I was destined to practice criminal law. I love investigative work and the courtroom.
I have been a federal agent, a federal prosecutor, and a state prosecutor. In private sector employment, some of the largest corporations in the U.S. counted on me to investigate and advise them on their most critical internal matters.
I bring persistence, experience, and genuine open-minded curiosity to each and every case. Above all, I listen and seek a deeper understanding of your case and of you. Then, I develop and present all the facts, preparing every single case for trial expecting to win.
As a former federal and state prosecutor, I have the courtroom experience to know how to present all the facts, the law, and most importantly, you in a winning way.
When it comes to winning there is no substitute for the facts. I am an experienced criminal investigator and defense lawyer who knows how to get the truth and use it to win. Let me go to work for you.
Work History
DeGuerin & Dickson
Dick DeGuerin, a truly legendary criminal defense lawyer, is my mentor and friend. I have been blessed to work in his firm defending clients charged with complex state and federal crimes, including capital murder, sex assault, aggravated assault, possession of child pornography, drug trafficking, driving while intoxicated, fraud, bribery, and tax evasion.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
I was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, commonly referred to as a “federal prosecutor,” in the Houston Division where for five years I was entrusted with prosecuting the most serious felony cases on behalf of the United States, including terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, export violations, firearms trafficking, immigration offenses, and many other offenses.
Private Sector Investigations Experience
I was Senior Investigations Counsel for Cameron International Corporation where I was responsible for investigating allegations of serious employee misconduct anywhere in the world. I later was Managing Director in Houston for the financial investigations, business intelligence, and forensic practices of KMPG LLP, the global accounting and advisory firm, and prior to that, I performed the same job with Control Risks, a United Kingdom-based business risk consulting, security, and investigations firm.
Harris County District Attorney’s Office
I was an Assistant District Attorney and rose to the level of chief prosecutor in the Misdemeanor Division after starting my legal career in the office where I prosecuted and tried a wide variety of cases, including DWI, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, theft, robbery, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance, and many others.
U.S. Air Force Reserve
Special Agent (Major, Ret.), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI)
U.S. Army National Guard
Military Intelligence Officer (2003-2005); Armor Officer (1993-2003); Infantry enlisted (1991-1993)
U.S. Army Airborne School, Basic Airborne Qualified, 1991
Military Service
University of Texas School of Law
JD, 1998
University of Texas Graduate School of Business
MBA, 1998
University of Virginia
BA, International Relations and Latin American Studies, 1993
Education
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) - Criminal Investigator Training Program
AFOSI New Agent Training Course
Financial Investigations Course, U.S Department of Justice
Basic Money Laundering Prosecutions Course, U.S. Department of Justice
Advanced Money Laundering Prosecutions Course, U.S. Department of Justice
Internet Investigations Course, U.S. Department of Justice
Advanced Interrogation Techniques, The Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing
U.S. Army Military Intelligence School, Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course
Professional
Education
Texas Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Texas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Harris County Criminal Defense Lawyer Association
Association of Former AFOSI Agents