This guide covers 10 DWI defense attorneys and firms serving Houston and Harris County, ranging from solo practitioners who handle nothing but DWI cases to full-service criminal defense firms with dedicated DWI teams. Each entry was evaluated on the same criteria: board certification in criminal law or DWI/DUI defense, prior experience as a prosecutor (which shapes how a defense attorney anticipates the State’s case), the volume and outcome of DWI trials specifically, and whether the firm treats DWI as a specialty or as one line item among a dozen practice areas.
Before hiring, it’s worth asking a few practical questions. Does the attorney regularly appear in the specific Harris County (or Fort Bend, Montgomery) court where your case will be filed, or are they generalists who occasionally take DWI cases? Do they have firsthand experience challenging breath and blood test results, which is where most DWI cases are actually won or lost? And do they handle the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing alongside the criminal case, since that 15-day window to save your license runs independently of the criminal timeline? This list is not ranked and is not sponsored. Metadata below comes from each firm’s own website, cross-checked against the State Bar of Texas attorney directory, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and Yelp/Google Business listings where a specific rating or figure is cited.
1. Law Office of Joseph Ruiz, PLLC
- Attorney/Key Figure: Joseph Ruiz, Founder
- Headquarters: 1100 W. 23rd Street, Suite 220, Houston, TX 77008
- Phone: 281-300-8695
- Website: josephruizlaw.com
- Practice Areas: DWI Defense (Third Offense, Underage, Motorcycle, Hit and Run, DWI With Injury), ALR Hearings, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence, Drug Charges
- Firm Size: Solo practice with support staff; Ruiz has tried over 350 jury trials
- Practice Area Page: Houston Multiple DWI Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Facebook, Martindale, Super Lawyers
Joseph Ruiz spent ten years trying cases for a large firm before founding his own practice to focus specifically on DWI and criminal defense in Harris County and its surrounding counties. In that time he has tried over 350 jury trials, giving him an unusually deep bench of courtroom experience for a solo-founded practice. He holds the Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation from the American Chemical Society, a credential held by roughly 130 attorneys nationwide, which speaks directly to how he approaches breath and blood test evidence, calibration records, and the science behind field sobriety testing in DWI cases.
Ruiz has been selected as a Super Lawyer in DWI/Criminal Law every year from 2023 through 2026. The firm handles the full spectrum of DWI matters, including third-offense and felony DWI, underage and college-student DWI, motorcycle DWI, DWI with injury, and hit-and-run cases, along with the Administrative License Revocation hearing that runs alongside the criminal case to protect a client’s driver’s license. As a solo practitioner working out of a Houston Heights office, Ruiz personally handles client cases rather than routing them to associates, and he offers a free consultation to evaluate a case before a client commits.
2. Segura & Kiatta Criminal Defense
- Attorney/Key Figures: Anthony Segura and David Kiatta, Founding Partners
- Headquarters: 345 Commerce Green Blvd., Suite 200, Sugar Land, TX 77478
- Phone: (281) 570-6400
- Website: segurakiattacriminaldefense.com
- Practice Areas: DWI (including Felony DWI, ALR Hearings), Criminal Defense, Expunctions, Drug Charges, Domestic Violence, Sex Crimes, Assault
- Firm Size: Boutique (2 named partners), over five decades of combined criminal defense experience
- Social Profiles: Facebook, Yelp
Anthony Segura and David Kiatta built their practice specifically around DWI defense in Fort Bend and Harris County, and both attorneys handle the Administrative License Revocation hearing as a standard part of every DWI case rather than treating it as an add-on. Their approach centers on contesting the traffic stop itself, the administration of field sobriety and breath tests, and calibration records for breathalyzer equipment used at the time of arrest.
The firm takes an explicitly trial-oriented stance, stating plainly that plea bargaining is not their default first move. For clients facing a felony DWI or a case involving injury, that willingness to prepare every file as if it is going to trial gives them leverage in negotiations that a plea-first practice would not have.
3. Greco Neyland, P.C.
- Attorney/Key Figures: Dustan Neyland and Jeffery L. Greco, Founding Partners
- Headquarters: 701 N. Post Oak Road, Suite 425, Houston, TX 77024
- Phone: (713) 972-1100
- Website: greconeylandtx.com
- Practice Areas: DWI (First through Third Offense, Felony, Aggravated, Blood/Breath Test cases), Criminal Defense, Drug Crimes, Federal Crimes
- Firm Size: Boutique, founded 2008, 55 years of combined experience
- Practice Area Page: Houston DWI Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Yelp, Super Lawyers
Founding partners Dustan Neyland and Jeffery Greco both began their careers as Assistant District Attorneys in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, working their way from the misdemeanor division through the felony division before moving to defense work. That prosecutorial background shapes how the firm builds DWI defenses, since both partners have firsthand experience with how the State assembles a case before trial.
The firm emphasizes motions to suppress and grand jury presentations as core parts of its DWI strategy, and both partners can practice in state and federal court, which matters for DWI cases that carry federal complications, such as those involving commercial drivers or out-of-state defendants.
4. Surginer Stewart, PLLC
- Attorney/Key Figures: Justin Surginer, Founding Partner; David Stewart, Former Chief Prosecutor
- Headquarters: 8831 Long Point Rd, Suite 401, Houston, TX 77055
- Phone: 713-589-8855
- Website: surginerandstewart.com
- Practice Areas: DWI, Criminal Defense, Drug Crimes, Family Violence Defense, Gun Crimes, Sexual Assault, Aggravated Assault
- Firm Size: Boutique, 30 years of combined experience
- Practice Area Page: Houston DWI Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Facebook, Yelp, LinkedIn
Justin Surginer began his legal career in 2009 under a Houston criminal defense attorney before opening his own firm in 2014, and has spent his entire career on criminal law rather than splitting time across other practice areas. David Stewart came to the firm as a former Chief Prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, giving the partnership a combined view from both sides of the courtroom.
The firm markets direct attorney access as a specific policy rather than routing clients through paralegals, and states plainly that it does not pressure clients into plea deals they don’t want, preferring to prepare cases for trial when the evidence supports it.
5. Benton Baker IV Attorney at Law
- Attorney/Key Figure: Benton Baker IV, Founder
- Headquarters: 2751 South Loop 336 West, Suite B, Conroe, TX 77304
- Phone: (936) 521-1292
- Website: baker4law.com
- Practice Areas: DWI/BWI, Criminal Law, Sex Crimes, Domestic Violence, Juvenile Law, Cyber Crimes, Firearm Violations
- Firm Size: Small firm (Baker & Beck, PLLC), 25+ years of courtroom experience
- Practice Area Page: DWI/BWI
- Social Profiles: Facebook
Benton Baker IV began his legal career after service as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and has spent more than two decades handling criminal defense across Montgomery County and the greater Houston area, including DWI and BWI (boating while intoxicated) cases. He is admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas federal court in addition to Texas state courts.
Baker’s office sits on the historic downtown square in Conroe, giving the firm proximity to the Montgomery County courthouse for clients whose DWI cases are filed there rather than in Harris County proper. He has negotiated felony-to-misdemeanor reductions in Montgomery County courts and continues regular continuing legal education, including training with the Trial Lawyer’s College.
6. Haddad & Timmons Law Firm
- Attorney/Key Figures: Michael Haddad and Ian Timmons, Partners
- Headquarters: 1920 N. Memorial Way, Suite 104, Houston, TX 77007
- Phone: (832) 691-8442
- Website: haddadtimmonslaw.com
- Practice Areas: DWI, Drug Crimes, Family Violence Crimes, Sex Crimes, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Robbery, Evading Arrest
- Firm Size: Boutique, two named partners, both former prosecutors
- Practice Area Page: Houston DWI Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Yelp
Michael Haddad and Ian Timmons both worked as prosecutors before moving to defense work, and the firm leans on that background to anticipate how Harris County prosecutors will build a DWI case rather than reacting to it after the fact. Haddad has been rated among the top five Houston attorneys for jury trial acquittals by an independent legal ranking site.
The firm’s DWI cases in Harris County typically route through the County Criminal Justice Center on Franklin Street, and the attorneys note they are familiar with the staff and procedures of that specific court. Both partners give clients their personal cell numbers rather than routing communication through a paralegal, and are available for direct contact throughout a case.
7. Doug Murphy Law Firm (Murphy & McKinney Law Firm, P.C.)
- Attorney/Key Figure: Doug Murphy, Founder
- Headquarters: 902 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008
- Phone: 713-229-8333
- Website: dougmurphylaw.com
- Practice Areas: DWI Defense (First through Fourth+, Felony, Intoxication Assault/Manslaughter, Commercial Vehicle, Drug DWI), Criminal Defense
- Firm Size: Boutique, dedicated DWI focus, one of only two attorneys in Texas dual board certified in Criminal Law and DWI Defense
- Social Profiles: Yelp
Doug Murphy is one of only two attorneys in Texas Board Certified in both Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and DWI Defense by the National College for DUI Defense, an ABA-accredited certification. He has personally defended over 4,000 criminal cases and has twice been named DWI defense “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America, based on peer review from fellow Houston-area attorneys.
Murphy served as President of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association and helped expose flaws in the Houston Police Department’s Breath Alcohol Testing vans that led to their decommissioning, work that earned him the Sharon Levine Unsung Hero Award from that same association. A firm built this tightly around one attorney’s reputation means less bench depth than a larger practice, though clients are working with one of the most credentialed DWI specialists in the state.
8. Thiessen Law Firm
- Attorney/Key Figure: Mark Thiessen, Chairman/CEO
- Headquarters: 733 E. 12th 1/2 Street, Houston, TX 77008
- Phone: 713-864-9000
- Website: thetexastrialattorney.com
- Practice Areas: DWI (First Offense through Intoxication Manslaughter), Criminal Defense, Drug Charges, Federal Criminal Defense
- Firm Size: Boutique, quadruple board certified lead attorney
- Practice Area Page: Houston DWI Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Facebook
Mark Thiessen holds board certifications in Criminal Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization), DUI Defense (National College for DUI Defense, ABA-accredited), DUI Law (DUI Defense Lawyers Association), and Board Certified Advocate in Criminal Trial Law, making him the only attorney in America with that specific combination. He also holds the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation and has won over 140 not-guilty verdicts at trial, including an acquittal in a quadruple intoxication manslaughter case.
Thiessen has been named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas every year from 2019 through 2025, the only DWI-focused attorney on that statewide list during that span. As with any single-attorney-branded practice, high-profile cases may draw more of his direct time than routine first-offense matters, where associates are more likely to handle day-to-day work.
9. Butler Law Firm
- Attorney/Key Figure: Jim Butler, Founder
- Headquarters: 11500 Northwest Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77092
- Phone: (713) 236-8744
- Website: thehoustondwilawyer.com
- Practice Areas: DWI/DUI Defense exclusively
- Firm Size: Solo, over 30 years of DWI-exclusive practice
- Social Profiles: Facebook, Avvo
Jim Butler has practiced law since 1993 and, unlike most of the firms on this list, handles nothing but DWI and DUI defense, making him one of the few Houston attorneys with an exclusively single-practice-area focus. He is a certified field sobriety test instructor and Board Certified as a DUI Law Specialist by the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, credentials that come directly from training police and prosecutors on the same tests he cross-examines in court.
Butler’s stance on DWI law is more nuanced than pure advocacy marketing: he has stated publicly that he believes DWI laws are appropriate and should be enforced, while also arguing that many people are arrested without adequate cause. As a solo practitioner exclusively focused on one charge type, clients get deep specialization but a smaller support team than a multi-attorney firm offers for cases requiring parallel work, such as a related civil claim.
10. Varghese Summersett
- Attorney/Key Figures: Benson Varghese and Anna Summersett, Founding Partners; Mike Hanson, DWI Attorney (Houston office)
- Headquarters: 2925 Briarpark Drive, Suite 850, Houston, TX 77042 (also Fort Worth, Dallas, and Southlake, TX)
- Phone: (281) 805-2220
- Website: versustexas.com
- Practice Areas: DWI Defense, Intoxication Manslaughter Defense, Federal Criminal Defense, Sexual Assault Defense, Personal Injury, Family Law
- Firm Size: Large, roughly 70 attorneys and staff across four Texas offices
- Practice Area Page: Houston DWI Lawyer
Varghese Summersett is one of the larger criminal defense operations serving Houston, with founding partners Benson Varghese and Anna Summersett both holding Board Certification in Criminal Law, a credential the firm notes fewer than 1% of licensed Texas attorneys carry. The Houston office is led in DWI matters by Mike Hanson, who tried DWI cases as a prosecutor before moving to defense work.
The firm built a full-scale replica courtroom at its Fort Worth headquarters, complete with judge’s bench, witness stand, and jury box, which it uses for mock trials and cross-examination rehearsal ahead of real proceedings. That scale is a genuine tradeoff for some clients: a larger firm means more resources and bench depth for a complex case, but less of the single-point-of-contact relationship that a solo or two-partner firm offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to request an ALR hearing after a DWI arrest in Houston?
You have 15 days from the date of arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing with the Texas Department of Public Safety. This is separate from the criminal case and runs on its own clock; missing the deadline results in an automatic license suspension regardless of how the criminal charge is ultimately resolved.
What court handles DWI cases in Harris County?
Most Harris County DWI cases are filed in one of the County Criminal Courts at Law, based at 1201 Franklin Street in downtown Houston, though felony DWI charges (such as a third offense or a case involving injury) move to a Harris County District Court. Cases arising in Fort Bend, Montgomery, or another surrounding county are filed in that county’s own courts.
What’s the penalty range for a first-offense DWI in Texas?
Under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04, a first-offense DWI is a Class B misdemeanor carrying up to 180 days in county jail (with a mandatory minimum of 72 hours), a fine of up to $2,000, and a license suspension of 90 to 365 days. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher elevates the charge to a Class A misdemeanor, raising the maximum jail term to one year and the maximum fine to $4,000.
Does a prior DWI conviction affect a new charge, even if it happened years ago?
Yes. Texas has no look-back period for prior DWI convictions, meaning a conviction from decades earlier can still be used to enhance a new charge to a second, third, or felony-level offense. This is why disclosing your full history to your attorney early matters, even for an old or seemingly minor prior conviction.
Should I hire a DWI specialist or a general criminal defense attorney?
Both can be effective, but DWI cases turn heavily on scientific and procedural details, such as breathalyzer calibration records, blood draw chain of custody, and field sobriety test administration, that a dedicated DWI attorney is more likely to have direct, repeated experience challenging. A general criminal defense attorney who handles DWI as one of many case types can still be a strong choice, particularly if your case involves overlapping charges outside DWI.
Can a DWI charge in Houston be reduced or dismissed?
It depends heavily on the specific facts: whether the traffic stop had valid legal grounds, whether the field sobriety and breath or blood tests were properly administered, and whether any procedural errors occurred during the arrest. Attorneys on this list have negotiated reductions from felony to misdemeanor charges and obtained full dismissals and not-guilty verdicts, but outcomes vary case by case and no attorney can guarantee a specific result before reviewing your file.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an attorney referral. It is not a ranked or sponsored list, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement by, or affiliation with, any named firm beyond what is stated. Attorney credentials, case results, and contact details change over time; confirm current information directly with each firm before making a hiring decision. Past results described here do not guarantee similar outcomes in any other case.
