Joel M. Androphy

Background

Joel M. Androphy (1953-2023) has been a partner in Berg & Androphy since 1985. Androphy began his career as a law clerk to The Honorable Norman W. Black, late Chief Judge, United States District Court, Southern District of Texas. A long-time participant in bar matters, Androphy was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas, and an appointed member of the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline.

Joel Androphy has served as Program Directors for the American Bar Association’s National False Claims and Qui Tam Trial Institute from 2013 to the present. Joel has handled the jury selection, opening, and closing arguments. To learn more about Joel’s participation in the Workshop, and phases of the “Trial” please view an earlier False Claims Institute’s Program Brochure.

The firm of Berg & Androphy was awarded, in 2013 and 2014, the prestigious “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 Ranking for Multiple Practice Areas by U.S. News & World Report.

The prestigious “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 Ranking designation, awarded to the firm of Berg & Androphy by U.S News & World Report is given only to the best-of-the-best in the specified practice areas. Merit is based on an in-depth firm evaluation derived from actual client feedback and the high regard in which other firms practicing in the same areas communicated to U.S News.

Joel and Sheryl Androphy are honored by Child Advocates at 2014 Pull For Kids Classic. Child Advocates, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization in Houston dedicated to breaking the cycle of child abuse through the court appointed special advocate system. They stand up for abused children who are lost in the system and guide them into safe environments where they can thrive.

In September 2009, the Houston Press named Joel Androphy the Best Civil Attorney in the 2009 Best of Houston® publication for the city of Houston, Texas. In October 2010, Joel was selected as one of the Top 75 Plantiffs’ Lawyers in the country. View a  list of the top 75 plantiffs’ attorneys.

Civil Cases

Over the years, Androphy has tried dozens of white collar crime cases to verdict, but his practice has always included civil matters, including qui tam, banking, healthcare, government procurement, health insurance fraud, environmental violations, breach of contract, conspiracy, and personal injury.

DynCorp International, LLC and Damco U.S.A., Inc. Pay $25.4M to End False Claims Act Suit Alleging Fraud Related to Military Contract

DynCorp International, LLC and Damco U.S.A., Inc. have agreed to pay $25.4 million to resolve a False Claims Act suit alleging that the companies submitted false claims for payment to the Department of Defense related to freight forwarding services provided in Afghanistan as part of the LOGCAP IV program. The settlement resolves a lawsuit against the companies filed in 2014 by two former employees of DynCorp on behalf of the federal government.

$20 MILLION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS

Joel M. Androphy of the Berg & Androphy law firm, along with the State of Texas and fraud attorneys of other law firms, have reached settlements in Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act litigation against AstraZeneca, which charged that AstraZeneca illegally marketed Crestor and profited from its alleged deception through reimbursement from Medicaid garnered by fraudulent activity.

$31 MILLION FOR WHISTLEBLOWER ATTORNEYS AND GOVERNMENT

Joel Androphy and David Berg, with Esdaile, Barrett, Jacobs & Mone, won a settlement with drug manufacturer, Organon USA Inc., in two qui tam actions in the U.S. District Courts in Massachusetts and in Texas. Organon agreed to settle allegations that it underpaid rebates to state Medicaid programs for several of its drugs, including Remeron, Remeron SolTab, NuvaRing, Mircette, Cyclessa and Desogen; in addition, it offered improper financial incentives to nursing home pharmacy companies to induce prescriptions of its drugs, Remeron and Remeron SolTab to Medicare patients. The settlement netted the clients and government approximately $31 million.

$21 MILLION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS AND GOVERNMENT

Joel Androphy and David Berg won a settlement to end a False Claims Act case brought by medicare fraud whistleblowers alleging fraudulent Medicaid claims and kickbacks to healthcare providers that prescribed an antidepressant drug.

PHARMERICA PAYS $4.9M TO END FALSE CLAIMS ACT SUIT ALLEGING KICKBACKS AND MEDICAID FRAUD

PharMerica Corporation has agreed to pay $4.9 million to resolve a False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuit alleging that it took kickbacks from a drug maker to promote two antidepressants, according to Berg & Androphy.

$50 MILLION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS AND GOVERNMENT

HOUSTON, TEXAS Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Joel M. Androphy of the Berg & Androphy law firm, along with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 50 state Medicaid healthcare programs plus the District of Columbia and the City of Chicago, have reached settlements in The False Claims Act (FCA) litigation against Novo Nordisk and their subsidiaries.

JOEL ANDROPHY WINS SETTLEMENT INVOLVING BEST PRICE VIOLATIONS NETTING THE GOVERNMENT AND WHISTLEBLOWER LAWYERS $119 MILLION

Joel Androphy won a settlement with King Pharmaceuticals in a qui tam action in United States District Court. The case involved the underpayment of Medicaid rebates, false claims, and best price violations. This settlement netted the client and government about $119 million.

$256 MILLION SETTLEMENT FOR QUI TAM ATTORNEYS

Joel Androphy of Berg & Androphy along with Esdaile, Barrett, Jacobs & Mone, represented Ryan Uehling, one of the whistleblowers in a government settlement with Millennium Laboratories, a case that involved multiple qui tam actions in the United States District Court in Massachusetts.

Bering Straits Technical Services, L.L.C. and Bering Straits Native Corporation have agreed to pay $2 million to settle civil charges involving alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The settlement was finalized April 26, 2016, without an admission of liability.

Joel Androphy, Sarah Frazier and Rachel Grier won a settlement with Frazier Masonry Corporation of Camarillo, California and other entities and individuals, who agreed to pay nearly $1.9 million to settle civil allegations that they conspired to defraud the United States in connection with military construction projects at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Camp Pendleton, California.

Joel Androphy, Sarah Frazier and Rachel Grier won a settlement with Children’s Physician Services of South Texas, Driscoll Genetic Services, Center for Genetic Services, and Radiology Associates, who agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle civil allegations that they engaged in false or fraudulent conduct by double-billing the Texas Medicaid program, TRICARE, and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program for the professional reading and interpretation of genetic ultrasounds.

Joel Androphy, Sarah Frazier and Rachel Grier won a settlement with Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System, and HealthTexas Provider Network (collectively Baylor) in a qui tam action in the United States District Court. Baylor agreed to settle civil charges that they engaged in false or fraudulent conduct by improperly billing federal healthcare programs for robotic stereotactic treatment delivery without corroboration of direct physician supervision and overbilling for services associated with stereotactic procedures without the necessary documentation in the medical record or as duplicative claims for services already performed and paid in conjunction with other services. The settlement netted the clients and government approximately $880,000.

Joel Androphy, Sarah Frazier and Kathryn Nelson won a settlement with American Grocers in a qui tam action in United States District Court. The case involved the alteration of expiration dates on food products sent to American troops in the Middle East.

Joel M. Androphy and Sarah Frazier represented one of the nine whistleblowers and won a settlement with Eli Lilly in a civil qui tam action in U.S. District Court. The case involved off-label marketing of the drug Zyprexa. This civil settlement netted the government and all whistleblowers about $750 million. The government will also receive an additional $600 million in criminal fines.

Joel Androphy won a settlement with Pfizer in a qui tam action in U.S. District Court. The case involved the underpayment of medicaid rebates, false claims and best price violations for the drug Lipitor. The settlement netted the client and government about $46 million.

Joel Androphy and Sarah Frazier won a settlement with Rotech Healthcare, Inc. in a qui tam action in United States District Court. Rotech paid $2 million to settle civil charges that it engaged in false or fraudulent conduct in billing Medicare for durable medical equipment. The government declined intervention. This settlement netted the client and government about $1.78 million. The negotiated settlement amount was a reflection of Rotech’s stock price of 34 cents per share at the time of settlement, down from $21 in early 2004 when Ms. Bell-Messier filed suit.

Joel Androphy and his partner, David Berg, along with New York counsel, represented Deutsche Bank in its successful defense in the Enron securities class action.

Androphy, along with New York counsel, represented Credit Suisse in its successful defense in the El Paso securities class action.

Androphy defeated the Securities and Exchange Commission in a federal fraud suit for injunctive relief, and obtained a million dollar judgment in a breach of contract suit in federal court. He also obtained a substantial confidential settlement in a pipeline explosion case. In October of 2002, he also won a settlement with Pfizer in a qui tam action in the U.S. District Court. The settlement netted the client and the government about $46 million. The case involved the underpayment of Medicaid rebates, false claims and best price violations for the drug Lipitor.

Androphy obtained a substantial confidential settlement in a case alleging negligent treatment of an 88 year old woman at a nursing home, and a confidential settlement, including a public apology, in four cases filed against the Catholic Church, on behalf of four men who alleged they had been sexually molested by a priest when they were minors. In the same year, Androphy obtained a dismissal in state court of a multi-million dollar fraud, conspiracy and breach of contract suit against his client, a temporary employment service.

Representing the plaintiff, Androphy settled a multimillion dollar antitrust action involving the ready-mix cement industry.

Androphy obtained a substantial, confidential settlement for the survivors of a young father who, Androphy alleged, was beaten to death in the Pasadena city jail.

Just before trial, Androphy obtained a settlement from the City of Houston for the estate of a teenager who died while in police custody. The settlement netted the client about $240,000.

Androphy obtained a $179,000 verdict in a case he tried pro bono on behalf of a dying AIDS victim whose assets had been swindled by a caregiver, the first case of its kind in Houston.

During trial, Androphy negotiated a substantial settlement for a former NASA official who was falsely arrested and incarcerated by U.S. marshals.

Androphy negotiated a settlement on behalf of a major shareholder claiming fraud in the operation of a local bank. The settlement netted the clients about $1,965,000.

Androphy has written more than 75 criminal law and qui tam litigation articles. Androphy has also written a book, entitled Federal False Claims Act and Qui Tam Litigation (Law Journal Press).

Criminal Cases

Androphy has represented many high-profile defendants.

Androphy also has been successful in preventing indictments or obtaining dismissal of charges in the following types of cases:

• Securities fraud
• Mail and wire fraud
• Health care fraud / Medicare fraud
• Antitrust violations
• Perjury
• Environmental crimes
• Public corruption
• Governmental procurement

Joel Androphy with Norton A. Colvin, Jr. of Colvin, Chaney, Saenz & Rodriguez, LLP defended Armando Villalobos, the former District Attorney of Cameron County, in a public corruption trial in federal court in Brownsville, Texas. The government charged Villalobos with twelve counts of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, extortion, and honest services fraud.  Before trial, the defense moved to dismiss all counts, and, in response, the government withdrew the three honest services fraud counts.  After a two-week trial, the jury acquitted Villalobos of two counts of extortion, rejecting the government’s allegations that Villalobos accepted payments from former Cameron County state district judge Abel C. Limas and attorney Oscar De La Fuente in exchange for fixing their cases. The jury found Villalobos guilty on the remaining seven counts. 

Joel Androphy and Sarah Frazier won an acquittal of a U.S. executive accused of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations and payments made to officials of a Mexican state-owned electric utility on January 18, 2012, after a jury trial in Houston federal court.

Joel Androphy and Sarah Frazier obtained 4 acquittals of a prominent cancer doctor accused of insurance fraud by four major insurance companies. The trial involved billing for the drug Herceptin.

Joel Androphy and Kathryn Nelson obtained a dismissal of all environmental criminal charges against a Spanish maritime company. The international maritime company rejected all attempts by the federal government to obtain corporate pleas.

Joel M. Androphy and Kathryn Nelson obtained an acquittal of a Greek maritime officer accused of environmental charges by the Department of Justice in a “magic pipe” pollution trial. There are only 2 other reported acquittals in the history of these prosecutions.

Joel Androphy, along with Pat Cooney of Houston’s Royston Razor, successfully defended an international maritime company from environmental criminal charges. The Department of Justice decided to conclude a year long investigation without filing any criminal indictments. The international company rejected all attempts by the federal government to obtain corporate pleas.

Androphy obtained a dismissal of a federal indictment involving computer crimes.

Androphy won a reversal and acquittal on appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in a bank fraud case, and the same year obtained a federal jury acquittal on 11 counts of mail fraud and money laundering for a Dallas chiropractor accused of participating in an insurance fraud conspiracy.

Androphy acted as co-counsel for Susan McDougal in the appeal of her Whitewater conviction. In 1997, he won a reversal in the federal court of appeals for an executive charged with counterfeit trafficking under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act, and in 1998 he won another reversal in state court for a doctor charged with criminal contempt.

Androphy won another acquittal in federal court for a bankruptcy auctioneer accused of defrauding bankruptcy estates.

Androphy won an acquittal in federal court for two brothers accused of money laundering and currency violations. That same year, he also won an acquittal in federal court for a former mortgage company president accused of fraud.

Androphy, with David Berg as lead lawyer, won a dismissal of criminal RICO charges during a four-month trial in Beaumont, Texas.

Over the years, Androphy has distinguished himself as a legal scholar. Certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he has written a widely used 6-volume treatise, White Collar Crime (West Group), as a practical guide for both civil and criminal lawyers. Houston, Texas’ famed Richard Racehorse Haynes has hailed the work as a must-read for any lawyer desirous of adequately representing clients charged with white collar crimes.

Certification/Specialties

Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Federal Court Bar Admissions

U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1979
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1981
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981
U.S. Supreme Court, 1982
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1982
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1984
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1984
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 1985
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2005
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 2006
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 2010
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2014
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2014
U.S.  District Court of New Mexico, 2015
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 2018

State Court Bar Admissions

Texas, 1978
Colorado, 1990
New York, 2008
Washington, D.C., 2011

Education

South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, 1978
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence

Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1975
B.A., Bachelor of Arts

Treatises

White Collar Crime: Civil and Criminal Practice Treatise
6 volumes with forms on CD ROM , West Group, 2012 (updated annually)

Federal False Claims Act & Qui Tam Litigation
Law Journal Press, 2010 (updated semi-annually)

Law Reviews

Whistleblower and Federal Qui Tam Litigation – Suing the Corporation for Fraud, 45 S. Tex.L.Rev. 23, 2004

Major News Publications

The Government’s Dirty Laundry: How Prosecutors Use Money Laundering Laws to Threaten Prison Time, Impose Fat Penalties, and Extract Pleas, Forbes, April 2008

Articles and Other Publications

Presentations & Seminars

• National Italian American Bar Association – Conversations with Leaders in the Law, May 12, 2021
• “Effectively Resolving White Collar Criminal Matters,” Handling Your First (or Next) White Collar Crime Case TexasBar Seminar, Austin, Texas, April 10, 2019.
• “Qui Tam. The Growing Role of “Private Attorneys General” in EDTX Under the Federal False Claims Act. How Does the Qui Tam Statute Work?” Panelist at Eastern District of Texas 2018 Bench Bar Conference, Plano, Texas October 17-19, 2018.
• “Choice of Venue: What Circuits and District Courts the Relators and Defense Favor and Those They Try to Avoid,” Panelist at Life Sciences & Healthcare Qui Tam and False Claims Summit, New York, NY, May 22, 2018.
• “Navigating Ethical Issues in False Claims Litigation,” 5th Advanced Forum on False Claims and Qui Tam Enforcement, January 29, 2018
• “Lawful Search and Seizure Under the False Claims Act: A Zone of Safety in Preserving Evidence Fraud,” The Federal Lawyer, December 2016
• “Evaluating Potential False Claims Act Cases.” Federal Litigation and Qui Tam Conference, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2016.
• Joel Androphy is pleased to be a presenter at the Medical Device Law: Compliance Issues, Best Practice & Trends on October 15-16, 2015 in Washington D.C .  Mr. Androphy will lead a discussion on Regulatory Risk Management and Mitigation.  Along with David L. Douglass, John Reed Thomas, Jr., and Jennifer Short, Mr. Androphy will host a practice discussion of approaches to manage, assess and mitigate medical device regulatory risk and associated FCA/qui tam exposure with emphasis on ethical considerations. Click here to learn more about this upcoming event: http://shop.americanbar.org/PersonifyImages/ProductFiles/203587083/CE1510MDM%20Final%20Print%20Brochure.pdf
• “Board of Directors: Outside Counsel Report,” Panelist at ABA Medical Device & Legal Professionals: A Collaborative Exchange, Washington, D.C. December 12, 2014
• “Inside the Defense of the O’Shea Prosecution: What Recent Cases Reveal About the Future of FCPA Enforcement.” Guest Speaker at Corporate Compliance Summit: FCPA 2014: Trends, Tips and Technology for More Defensible Compliance, Houston, Texas, November 5, 2013. More Information, Press Release and Agenda.
• Served as Program Director for the ABA’s National False Claims and Qui Tam Trial Institute in Washington DC, from June 5-7, 2013.
• “National Whistleblower Litigation: Qui Tam, False Claims Act, Dodd-Frank and Tax Cases,” by Joel Androphy. 4 Video Collection.
• “Inside the Defense of the Lindsey Manufacturing, Africa Sting, and O’Shea Prosecutions: What Recent Cases Reveal About the Future of FCPA Enforcement Against Individuals,” 28th National Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, November 15, 2012
• KPMG Anti-Bribery and Corruption Share Forum, Houston, Texas, June 25, 2012
• “The Whistleblowers Among Us: The Implications of the Dodd-Frank Act and Other Government Whistleblower Programs,” ABA National Institute on Internal Corporate Investigations and Forum for In-House Counsel, May 18, 2012
• “The Trial of a Health Care Fraud Case: Trial Practice Demonstration,” ABA National Institute on Health Care Fraud, May 11, 2012
• “Quality of Care: The New Frontier of Health Care Fraud Enforcement,” ABA Webinar, May 3, 2012
• “Parlez-vous Kickback? – The Application of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to the Healthcare Arena,” ABA 13th Annual Conference on Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law, San Diego, February 22, 2012
• “The Trial of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Case,” Houston Bar Association Securities Law Section, February 14, 2012
• “Current Legal Events,” North Shore Rotary Club, December 9, 2010
• “How Will Investigations and Lawsuits Arising Under the Qui Tam Provisions of the False Claims Act Affect You and Your Company,” ABA 11th Annual Conference on Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law, February 18, 2010
• “Qui Tam Prosecutions,” United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, Federal Prosecutors’ Seminar, September 22, 2009
• “Qui Tam Claims: The Whistleblower Employee Teaming up with the Federal Government,” South Texas College of Law, July 17, 2009 (materials only)
• “Qui Tam Practice, Emerging Trends in Litigation,” State Bar of Texas, Padre Island, May 1, 2009
• “National Pharma AudioConference: Lessons of Eli Lilly’s $1.4 Billion Off Label Zyprexa Settlement,” March 24, 2009
• “Trends in White Collar Crime,” Houston Commercial Finance Lawyer’s Forum, March 3, 2009
• “Preventing White Collar Prosecutions: Lost Opportunities,” International Association of Defense Counsel Midyear Meeting, February 18, 2009
• “Real Estate Crimes,” Houston Bar Association, January 21, 2009
• “Battling Health Care Fraud: Criminal and Civil Perspectives,” West Webinar, December 18, 2008
• “False Claims Act and Qui Tam Litigation,” Commercial Litigation Program, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Austin, December 3, 2008
• “Prosecuting and Defending Qui Tam Cases Under the False Claims Act: What it Takes to be Successful,” Law Journal Newsletters and Webinar, November 11, 2008
• “Handling State and Federal White Collar Cases including Mail Fraud,” University of Houston, September 18, 2008
• “A Conversation with the Judges,” Moderator, White Collar Practice for the Business Lawyer and In-House Counsel, South Texas College of Law, July 31, 2008
• “Qui Tam Lawsuits and Whistleblowers,” White Collar Practice for the Business Lawyer and In-House Counsel, South Texas College of Law, July 31, 2008
• “White Collar Crime and Qui Tam Cases,” State Bar of Texas, In House Counsel Course, July 24, 2008
• “White Collar Crime and Qui Tam Cases,” International Association of Defense Counsel, Greenbriar, July 5, 2008
• “White Collar Crime and Qui Tam Cases,” State Bar Annual Meeting, June 27, 2008
• “White Collar Crime and Qui Tam Litigation,” Federal Bar Association, May 15, 2008
• “What Corporations and Executives Need to Know About White Collar Criminal Investigations,” Houston Bar Association, April 10, 2008
• “What Corporations and Executives Need to Know About White Collar Criminal Investigations,” Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Bar Association of United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, October 25, 2007
• “What Corporations and Executives Need to Know About White Collar Criminal Investigations,” The Houston Chapter of RIMS Fall Conference, October 19, 2007
• “What Civil Lawyers and Corporate Counsel Need To Know About White Collar Crime,” International Association of Defense Counsel Midyear Meeting, February 20, 2007
• “Off-Label Promotion,” Food and Drug Law Institute’s Fifth Annual Enforcement and Litigation Conference, February 5, 2007
• “Off -Label Qui Tam Lawsuits: How to Avoid Them and What to Do if You Get Sued,” Fifth Annual Off-Label Usage Conference, Pharmaceutical Education Associates, September 20 – 21, 2006 (Chair of the Seminar and Moderator on several panels)
• “The Woman’s Role in the Investigation of Enron,” Houston Woman’s Political Forum, April 3, 2006
• “Sentencing Issues,” University of Houston Law School, Houston, February 17, 2006
• “Transitions of the Past – Lawyers and Firms that have Survived and Thrived During Past Transitions,” State Bar of Texas, Houston, February 2, 2006
• “Conflicts Between Civil and Criminal Investigations,” Mealey’s Environmental Litigation Conference, April 18, 2005
• “White Collar Crime,” University of Houston Law School, April 7, 2005
• “Bankruptcy Litigation: Advanced Pre-Trial Practice and Procedure Workshop,” University of Texas CLE, January. 20, 2005
• “What Pharmaceutical Companies Need to Know About Preventing and Dealing with Qui Tam Cases: Kickbacks, Off-Label Marketing Violations, and Other Crimes,” Pharmaceutical Education Associates, September 21, 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• “White Collar Crime: What to do When the Government Comes Knocking,” University of Houston – Corporate, Partnership and Business Law, June 10, and 17, 2004, Dallas and Houston, Texas
• “White Collar Crime,” University of Houston Law School, March 30, 2004
• “White Collar Crime/Qui Tam for Health Care Facilities,” Houston Bar Association, Health Care Section, Houston, January 14, 2004
• “Whistleblower and Qui Tam Litigation, Advanced In-House Counsel Course,” State Bar of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, August 14, 2003
• “Qui Tam Litigation, Fraud and False Claims,” American Health Lawyer’s Association, San Antonio, Texas, July 1, 2003
• “White Collar Crime: What You Should Know if the Government Comes Knocking,” Corporate, Partnership, and Business Law Seminar, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, June 19, 2003, Dallas, Texas, June 26, 2003
• “Whistleblower and Qui tam Litigation: Suing the Corporation for Fraud,” White Collar Crime Conference, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, June 13, 2003, Houston, Texas
• “Discovery and Strategies in Accounting Fraud and Corporate Malfeasance,” State Bar of Texas, Dallas, March 3, Houston, May 2, and San Antonio, May 23, 2003
• “Criminalization of Corporate Conduct – Do Gucci’s Go with an Orange Jumpsuit,” Texas General Counsel Forum, April 23, 2003, Houston, Texas
• “Whistleblower and Qui tam Litigation: Suing the Corporation for Fraud,” Business Crimes and Civil Responsibility, South Texas College of Law, April 11, 2003, Houston, Texas
• “Are You Working for Free? Payment of Attorney Fees For Criminal Counsel When in Bankruptcy,” Bankruptcy Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, April 10, 2003, Houston, Texas
• “Criminal Liability for Corporations, Executives, and Employees: Strategies, Prevention, Responsibility, Mitigation, and Consequences,” American Corporate Counsel Association, January 10, 2003, San Antonio, Texas
• “Lifting the Veil of Sarbanes-Oxley,” NASDAQ sponsored program along with Jackson Walker and PricewaterhouseCoopers, December 5, Houston, Texas, December 6, Dallas, Texas
• “Business Crimes in Civil Litigation: Issues in Parallel Proceedings,” Litigation and Trial Tactics, University of Houston Law Center, November 22, 2002, Dallas, Texas, December 6, 2002, Houston, Texas
• “Qui Tam Litigation,” Pharmaceutical Regulatory and Compliance Congress and Best Practices Forum, November 15, 2002, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• “Qui Tam Litigation – Suing the corporation, a Whistleblower’s Jackpot,” White Collar Crime for the Civil Practitioner, State Bar of Texas, November 14 – 15, 2002
• “Criminal Liability for Corporations, Executives, and Employees: Strategies, Prevention, Responsibility, Mitigation, and Consequences, Advanced In-House Counsel Course,” State Bar of Texas, July 27, 2002
• “White Collar Crime and Enron,” University of Houston Law Center, February 2002
• “Environmental Prosecution and Defense in Texas and Louisiana,” American Bar Association, Houston, Texas, January 1, 2001
• “White Collar Crime Update,” Federal Practice Seminar, Federal Bar Association, Houston, Texas, September 14, 2000
• “Handling Fraud Investigations,” Certified Fraud Examiners, Houston, Texas, September 12, 2000
• “Handling Grand Jury Subpoenas, Search Warrants and Law Enforcement Agents,” South Texas College of Law White Collar Crime Conference: Business Crimes in State and Federal Court,” South Texas College of Law, May 11, 2000
• “Presentation of the Case: Plaintiff’s Perspective,” The University of Houston Law Foundation, Advanced Civil Litigation Under the New Rules, Dallas, April 2000
• “Admiralty and Maritime Conference at Royston, Razor, Vickery & Williams: Handling Subpoenas, Search Warrants, and Interrogations,” October 16, 1999
• “Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference: Recognizing and Defending Against Criminal Liability,” The University of Texas at Austin, Houston, Texas, September 17, 1999
• “White Collar Crime: What Every Business Lawyer Needs to Know,” University of Houston Dallas, Texas, August 6, 1999
• “White Collar Crime,” American Corporate Counsel Association, Houston, Texas, May 11, 1999
• “White Collar Red Flags: What Every Civil Lawyer and Corporate Counsel Should Know,” White Collar Crime Conference, South Texas College of Law Affiliated with Texas A & M University, May 6-7, 1999
• “So You Want To Be a Judge,” Texas Women Lawyers Seminar, Houston, Texas, March 26, 1999
• “Criminal Exposure for Executives,” BDO Seidman Executive Series of Seminars, March 1999
• “Inside Story: Great Texas Trial Lawyers Tell Their Secrets, Trying the High-Profile Case,” Houston Bar Association, January 15, 1999
• “Barratry,” Texas District & County Attorneys Association, Elected Prosecutor Conference, Laredo, Texas, December 3, 1998
• “Closing Arguments,” State Bar of Texas 21st Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course, Dallas, Texas, September 4, 1998
• “Grand Jury,” Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas, Houston, Texas, May 15, 1998 (article only)
• “What Every Civil Lawyer and Corporate Counsel Should Know Representing Individuals,” White Collar Crime Conference, South Texas College of Law Houston, Texas, April 24, 1998
• “Legislative Update Institute,” Criminal Law, Houston Bar Association, September 5, 1997
• “Harris County Criminal Lawyers’ Association Defender Advocacy Workshop,” Opening Statement and Jury Argument, Houston, Texas, April 2, 1997
• “White Collar Crime,” Houston FBI Legal Conference, Houston, Texas, March 26, 1997
• “Corporate Criminal Liability,” Advanced Business Litigation Seminar, University of Houston Law Foundation, Houston, Texas, April 25, 1996; and San Antonio, Texas, May 2, 1996
• “Criminal Law Issues & Civil Litigation,” Mainland Bar Association, League City Merchant’s Bank, League City, Texas, April 26, 1996
• “Ethics and Maritime Law: Criminal Law Aspects,” State Bar of Texas Admiralty and Maritime Law Course, League City, Texas, March 14 – 15, 1996
• “Criminal Law Issues in Civil Litigation,” State Bar of Texas 18th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course, Houston, September 1, 1995; Dallas, September 29, 1995; and Austin, Texas, October 13, 1995
• “Defending Federal White Collar Crimes,” Federal Public Defender Tenth Annual Staff Conference and Seminar, Houston, Texas, August 25, 1995
• “Representing a White Collar Client,” Houston FBI Legal Conference, Houston, Texas, February 24, 1995
• “White Collar Crime,” Houston Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, Houston, Texas, February 17, 1995
• “Public Corruption,” Houston FBI Conference, Houston, Texas, January 11, 1995
• “Parallel Civil and Criminal Proceedings,” Northeast Harris County Bar Association, November 17, 1994
• “Advanced Evidence and Discovery,” Seminar State Bar of Texas, Houston, Texas, November 11, 1994; and South Padre Island, Texas, October 28, 1994
• “Aids and the Law,” Houston Bar Association, HIV/AIDS Round Table Seminar, Houston, Texas, April 16, 1994
• “Ethical Considerations in Preparing for and Defending a Criminal Antitrust Case,” Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas, April 26, 1994
• “Grand Jury and Indictments,” Advanced Criminal Law Short Course, University of Houston Law Foundation, Dallas, Texas, October 1993
• “Bank Fraud,” Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, San Antonio, Texas, July 1993
• “Criminal Law Issues in Bankruptcy: Mitigating Criminal Exposure in Bankruptcy Court,” Eleventh Annual Advanced Business Bankruptcy Course, State Bar of Texas, May 1993
• “Criminal Aspects of Discharge Ability Proceedings,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Bankruptcy Seminar, Houston, Texas, May 1993
• “Grand Jury and Indictments,” University of Houston, Houston, Texas, November 1992
• “Federal Motions,” Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, Houston, Texas, October 1992
• “Criminal Law Issues in Civil Litigation,” Advanced Civil Law Seminar, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, September 1992; and Dallas, Texas, September 1992
• “Parallel Civil and Criminal Litigation,” Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, State Bar of Texas, Houston, Texas, July 1992
• “White Collar Crime and Money Laundering,” Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Cayman Islands, June 1992
• “White Collar Crime: Money Laundering,” Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, Houston, Texas, March 1992
• “Frayed-Collar Crime: Financial Fraud,” Advanced Criminal Law Seminars, January 1991
• “Houston Bankruptcy Conference: Mitigating A Client’s Criminal Exposure In The Bankruptcy Court,” Texas State Bar Committee on Minimum Continuing Legal Education, November 1990
• “Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy: Working With Criminal Counsel,” State Bar of Texas, September 1990
• “Bankruptcy Crimes,” Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas, April 1990
• “Civil and Criminal Forfeitures Under Federal and State Law: New Developments,” Texas Young Lawyers Association, June 1990
• “Advanced Creditor Rights: 5th Amendment,” State Bar of Texas, April 1990
• “Mitigating Criminal Exposure In Bankruptcy Proceedings,” Federal Bar Association, 1989
• “The Grand Jury and Your Client,” Houston Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, May 1989
• “Ethics in Criminal Law,” American Inns of Court, South Texas College of Law, March 1989
• “Criminal Law Institute,” Program Co-Chairman, Houston Bar Association, 1987 – 1989
• “White Collar Crimes,” South Texas College of Law, Criminal Law institute, November / December 1988, Dallas and Houston
• “Criminal Law and RICO Issues in a Banking Context,” 11th Annual Banking Law Institute, Texas Tech University, April 1988, General Chairman of Federal Practice Institute, Federal Bar Association: How To Prepare For Civil Litigation, How To Deal With Federal Agencies, How to Defend a Criminal Case, June 1987
• “Civil RICO,” Federal Bar Association, Houston Chapter, Federal Practice Institute, Professional Development Program, June 1987
• “What the Civil Practitioner Needs to Know About White Collar Crime,” Houston Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, December 1986
• “Pre-Trial Motion Practice-Injunctions/Extraordinary Relief,” State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section, Professional Development Program, April 1983

Honors and Awards

• Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Award, 2017 Small Firm Winner
• Awarded “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 Ranking for Multiple Practice Areas by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers, 2017-2019
• The National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Criminal Defense, 2014
• Top 100 Houston, Texas Lawyers, Super Lawyers®, 2004-2007 & 2010-2014
• Top 100 Texas Lawyers, Super Lawyers®, 2006 & 2014
• Houston Press’ Best Civil Attorney in the Best of Houston® publication, 2009
• Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, 2002
• Best Lawyers in America
• Outstanding Legal Article, Houston Lawyer, 1985, 1996, 2006
• President’s Award, Outstanding Service to Houston Bar Association as Editor of the Houston Lawyer, 1990
• President’s Award, Outstanding Service to the Houston Bar Association as Chairman of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, 1994
• President’s Citation, Outstanding Service to the State Bar as Chair/Editor of the Texas Bar Journal, 2001
• Recognized for years as an AV Preeminent Peer Rated Attorney

Professional Associations and Memberships

ABA False Claims and Qui Tam Institute in Miami
Co-Chair, 2015 – current

American Bar Association
Chair, Health Law Section, Fraud and Compliance, 2013 – current

Commission for Lawyer Discipline, 2001 – 2004

U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Host Committee, 55th Judicial Conference

U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Merit Selection Committee for Public Defender, 1993

United States District Court
Merit Selection Committee for U.S. Magistrates, 1989, 1992, 1997

Houston Bar Association
Editor, Houston Lawyer, 1988 – 1990

Houston Bar Association
Chair, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 1992 – 1993

Houston Bar Association
Officer, Director, 1989 – 1996

Texas Young Lawyers Association
Chairman, Criminal Law Section, 1989 – 1990

Federal Bar Association
President, Houston Chapter, 1986 – 1987

South Texas College of Law
Adjunct Professor, White Collar Crime, 1998 – 1999

Houston Volunteer Lawyer Program
Chairman, 1993 – 1994

University of Houston Law Center
Adjunct Professor, 1994 – 1996, 2012

State Bar of Texas
Board of Directors, District 4, Place 6, 1997 – 2000