Houston, TX Lawyers

Criminal Defense Law

1018 Preston, Floor 7, Houston, TX 77002

Dick DeGuerin made his reputation handling tough cases, something he does to this day. He started as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in 1965, and moved to Butler Binion, a prominent civil firm, in 1968. In 1970, while Dick was still an associate at Butler Binion, federal authorities charged well known criminal-defense lawyer Bob Tarrant with illegal possession and sale of machine guns. Bob, who was colorful to say the least, had a collection of every Thompson model ever made. Dick knew and respected Bob from his time as a prosecutor and volunteered to assist Percy Foreman who was leading the defense. During the trial, Percy told Dick to “come see me when this is over.” He did. Dick sought Jack Binion’s counsel about the job Percy offered, and the advice was simple: “You’re a damn fool if you don’t take it.” When Dick took the job, Percy Foreman was already the man to see if you were in serious legal trouble. In a 1952 Houston murder trial, Percy contended that the elected Harris County Sheriff and a Texas Ranger beat a confession out of the defendant. The Sheriff and the Ranger were present when Percy gave his closing argument accusing them of the misconduct. After the not-guilty verdict was read, the Sheriff and the Ranger jumped the bar and assaulted Percy in the courtroom. Upon leaving the hospital shortly thereafter, Percy said “I harbor no malice toward these poor, misguided minions of the law.” The 1964 Florida trial of Candace Mossler was covered nationwide and solidified Percy’s courtroom reputation. She was acquitted of her husband’s murder in a case that was ahead of its time in subject matter and defensive approach. Dick left Foreman & DeGuerin in 1982 with Lewis Dickson, and they formed DeGuerin & Dickson. They continued the tradition of their former firm, aggressively representing their clients’ interests. That tradition remains.

Estate Planning Law

700 Louisiana St 41st floor, Houston, TX 77002, USA

In 2010, Mr. Ford achieved the highest distinction available to an attorney practicing in the area of estate planning and probate in Texas. He has become Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which is a coveted recognition bestowed on few attorneys who have demonstrated special competence in this area of law and who have received recommendations from fellow attorneys and judges with whom they have worked. In 2009, Mr. Ford completed the required course-work to become certified to serve as a mediator. In pursuit of this distinction, Mr. Ford attended the world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. He attended this intensive course with the goal of being able to conduct mediations in probate and guardianship cases, as few mediators in Texas specialize in these areas. In 2006, Mr. Ford was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on the Guardianship Certification Board, which is a 15-member board that creates policy and oversees the regulation of private professional guardians in the State of Texas. At the inaugural meeting of the GCB, Mr. Ford was elected as the Chair of the Rules Committee, where he has served with distinction since that time. Mr. Ford’s recent distinctions are reflective of a dedication to the areas of estate planning, probate, and guardianship that began early in his education. In law school, Mr. Ford was fortunate to be able to concentrate his education in estate planning and business planning, not unlike a major in undergraduate school. His concentration in estate planning and business planning involved a curriculum designed around an in-depth study of those areas. Additionally, he was able to regularly work one-on-one with professors in those fields so that before he even graduated from law school he had experience in tax planning and will drafting. Mr. Ford graduated from Baylor University with degrees in Accounting and Law. He has also completed several post-graduate courses at Baylor in pursuit of a Masters in Taxation. Following law school, he began his career as a Tax Attorney for a large international accounting and consulting firm, where he assisted clients primarily in the areas of estate and gift tax and personal income tax. The combination of his tax-related degrees and his experience working as a tax attorney have given Mr. Ford a strong background in the areas of estate planning and probate, and he has focused his attention and expertise in these areas ever since. Mr. Ford devotes his knowledge and experience to maintaining the reputation of Ford+Bergner as a leading estate planning and probate firm in Texas.

Criminal Defense Law

701 N Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77024, USA

Dustan Neyland is an experienced defense attorney who has tried many types of cases to a jury. After completing law school, Dustan moved back to Texas and was hired as an Assistant District Attorney by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. After prosecuting for the state and learning how the state builds a case against the accused, Dustan left the District Attorney’s Office and opened the law firm of The Law Offices of Dustan Neyland. Dustan has over 10 years of working in law enforcement and criminal justice. He has worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Oklahoma City University Police Department, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. He has taken the skills that he learned from working for the State and uses those skills to effectively defend his clients. Dustan personally conducts his own investigation of his clients’ cases by interviewing witnesses, reviewing evidence, and visiting the crime scenes.

Labor Law

1601 Westheimer Rd, Suite A, Houston, TX 77006

As a trial lawyer, I routinely see what can go wrong with a client?s business, and for this reason I am uniquely positioned to help clients prevent business and employment disputes by anticipating them and by being proactive. As a certified public accountant who at one time practiced public accounting for a Big Eight accounting firm, I also understand the practical and financial aspects of disputes. In my practice, I assist clients with hiring and termination matters, developing and implementing appropriate employment policies and procedures, and responding to EEOC charges and Department of Labor or Texas Workforce Commission wage audits. I also offer training programs designed to assist my clients in meeting the ongoing challenges associated with federal and state employment laws, which continue to present a moving target. I frequently provide advice to client entities who are in the process of restructuring their business, and I have conducted due diligence investigations in connection with a nationwide roll-up of staffing companies, as well as strategic mergers and initial public offerings of staff leasing and PEO companies.

Criminal Defense Law

2180 North Loop W, STE 310, Houston, TX 77018

Eric Benavides is a proven trial attorney based out of Houston, TX. He has multiple Not Guilty verdicts and Dismissals to his name. He is a graduate of the prestigious Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Trial College in Huntsville, TX. He is certified to perform the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and has done the certification multiple times. This gives him the benefit of having MORE training that the officers who arrest his clients. Eric was one of the few attorneys in Texas to be named a Super Lawyer Rising Star. He is also continually recognized as one of the Top Lawyers in Houston by both the Houstonia and H-Texas Magainzes. He has earned a perfect 10.0 rating on AVVO, where he currently has a 100% review rating by former clients.