Awards

• Recognized as DWI Super Lawyer 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 by a survey of 66,000 lawyers in the State of Texas taken by the publishers of Law and Politics magazine and published in Texas Monthly Magazine.
• 2018 – Selected to the list of the Top 50 Attorneys in the Central and West Texas region
• Recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Texas.
• Recognized as 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Best DWI Attorney: Top Rated
• Founding member of the National College of DUI Defense
• Voted “Best Lawyer in America” for DWI Defense 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Results published annually in the US News and World Report magazine.
• Voted 2016 “Best Lawyer in America” for DWI Defense to be seen in US News & World Report with added Tier One ranking for superiority
• Named as one of the best DWI/Criminal Defense Lawyers by Scene in SA Monthly magazine for the years: 2006,2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and voted #1 by his peers again.
• Voted by San Antonio Scene magazine as one of “San Antonio’s Top 30 Criminal defense lawyers” in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
• Awarded the first annual “Defender of the Year” award in 2004 by the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (SACDLA).
• Rated 10.0 Superb by AVVO.
• Past President for the Texas DWI Lawyers Association
• Founder & Past President San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Founding member of the National College for DUI Defense 

Certifications in Criminal Law and Advocacy:

• Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1992
• Criminal Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1993

* there are only 33 criminal law specialists in the State of Texas as of 09/2022

Notable Representative Cases in Texas:

• Hartman v. State of Texas, 946 S.W.2d 60 (Ct. of Crim. App. Tex. 1997)
• State v. Aquilar, 947 S.W.2d 256 (Texas Appl 1997)
• Mireles v. Tex. Dept. of Public Safety, 9 S.W.3d 128 (Tex. 1999)
• Mata v. State, 46 S.W.3d 902 (Tex.Crim.App. 2001)
• Bagheri v. State, 2002 WL 1390,335 (Tex.App.-San Antonio June 28, 2002, no pet. h. 2002

Published Works on DWI Defense Strategies:

• The VOICE for the Defense
• “Cross Examining the Technical Supervisor in the DWI Case”, Vol 26 No. 5, 1997
• Collateral Estoppel As Applied to ALR/DWI Cases”, Vol 26 No 7, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Member of Board of Directors of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association from 1997 to 2004
• Member of Executive Committee, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Member of DWI committee, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Member of Executive Committee, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Co-chair, DWI Committee, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Organization Founder and Past President, San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 1999 – Present
• Founding Member, National College for DUI Defense
• Strike Force for TCDLA
• Member State Bar of Texas
• Founding Member/Secretary - Texas DWI Defense Lawyers Association (TDDLA) 2014