Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Eric Nichols practices both civil trial and criminal law, and joined the Austin office of Butler Snow in 2019. His background includes not only many years representing companies and individuals in private practice but also experience in both Texas state government and the federal government, having served as Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice for the Office of the Texas Attorney General, as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, and a law clerk to a ...
Brandon McCarthy is a trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor in the fraud unit. After 13 years as a prosecutor, he now makes use of his government experience in defending companies, executives and health care professionals facing white-collar investigations and prosecutions. Having handled countless criminal investigations, including the largest health care fraud investigations in the country, Brandon knows how to spot weak points in the government's case and use them to benefit his clien...
Acclaimed Texas trial lawyer Rusty Hardin is the founder and name partner of Houston’s Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP , accomplished in both complex civil matters and significant criminal cases. Mr. Hardin has more than 40 years of litigation experience, beginning his career as an assistant prosecutor in Houston’s Harris County in 1975. Since entering private practice in 1991, Mr. Hardin has tried over 70 jury trials, fairly evenly split between civil and criminal cases. His c...
Ashley Hoff is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Ashley, who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ashley is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joe Roden grew up in Liberty, Texas and attended the University of Texas as an undergraduate, where he graduated in 1988. He then went into the U.S. Marine Corps. Joe attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant and was a decorated officer in the Marine Corps during Desert Storm, the first Gulf War. After leaving the Marine Corps, he graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with honors and then clerked for Justice Murry Cohen on the First Court of Appeals. After clerking for the Court of Ap...
John is a lifetime member of the 82nd Airborne Association and the U.S. Army Ranger Association. He served his country as a Staff sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1996 and was also an Airborne Ranger, a significant achievement that requires dedication, determination, exceptional mental toughness, and a commitment to excel. The selection process for becoming an Airborne Ranger is highly competitive and rigorous and includes physical fitness assessments, mental aptitude evaluations, speci...
Richard Bratton Roper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Richard Bratton, who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard Bratton is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gerald “Gerry” Harris Goldstein is a nationally known and respected defense lawyer and Past President of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.He is a fellow in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has served as an adjunct professor of law at University of Texas School of Law in Austin and at St. Mary’s University Scho...
James O. Darnell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. James O., who practices law in El Paso, Texas, has been recognized since 1993. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gregg Costa is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Gregg, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregg is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas M. Melsheimer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Antitrust Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent, Litigation - Securities and Qui Tam Law. Thomas M., who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas M. is held by other top...
R. Todd Bennett is a criminal defense attorney based in Houston, Texas and the founder of R. Todd Bennett PC. His practice focuses on general criminal defense and white-collar matters, representing individuals facing serious allegations in state and federal courts . He brings a steady and measured approach to cases that often carry high stakes for clients and their families. Mr. Bennett’s work centers on defending clients accused of complex financial crimes, fraud allegations and other ...
Mr. Freeman is the founding and managing member of Freeman Law, PLLC. He is a dual-credentialed attorney-CPA, author, law professor, and trial attorney. Mr. Freeman has been recognized multiple times by D Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas, and by Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly magazine. He was recently honored by the American Bar Association, receiving it’s “On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers” in America award, and recognized as a Top 100 Up-And-Coming Att...
Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Nicole DeBorde, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicole DeBorde is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.