Ben Florey, Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist

Ben Florey, Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist — State & Federal

Ben Florey is a veteran Texas trial lawyer with nearly five decades of criminal law experience on both sides of the courtroom. He is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization—a distinction held by fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys—and has held that certification since 1984. Licensed in 1977, Mr. Florey has earned the AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest possible peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards.

Mr. Florey began his career as a prosecutor in the Travis County District Attorney's Office, where he rose to lead its trial and public-integrity work. As Chief of the Trial Division, he served as lead prosecuting trial director on complex and high-profile cases. As Chief and Director of the office's Public Integrity Unit, he investigated and prosecuted public officials for fraud, election, and white-collar crime—securing indictments that included a Texas Attorney General and a Texas Supreme Court Justice. That prosecutorial foundation now informs the strategic, aggressive defense he brings to clients across the state and in federal court.

A graduate of Texas Tech University, where he earned both his Bachelor's degree and his Juris Doctor, Mr. Florey has handled thousands of criminal matters ranging from misdemeanors to high-stakes federal prosecutions. His experience spans drug possession and distribution, organized crime, driving while intoxicated (DWI), burglary, arson, homicide, fraud and white-collar offenses, internet-related crimes, and federal appeals. He is known for his meticulous preparation, courtroom command, and unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of the accused.

Mr. Florey has also given back to the profession that shaped him. As a Director of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA), he lectured and coordinated at TCDLA seminars, authored a criminal-defense guide to the Texas Rules of Evidence, and—as a director's pro bono duty—represented a surviving Branch Davidian in federal court and related congressional hearings. His published legal articles have appeared in Texas Lawyer and have been cited in law reviews at St. Mary's University School of Law and Seattle University School of Law.

Whether a client faces a misdemeanor or a complex federal indictment, they turn to Mr. Florey for skilled representation backed by experience, integrity, and results.

Certifications & Recognition

• Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law—State and Federal, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (certified since 1984)


• AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®—highest national peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards


• Licensed to practice in Texas since 1977

Professional Leadership

• Director, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA)


• President, Criminal Law Section, Travis County Bar Association


• President and Founder, Administrative Law Section, Travis County Bar Association


• Member, State Bar District Nine Grievance Committee

Bar & Court Admissions

• State Bar of Texas (Emeritus—current full active practice)


• U.S. District Courts for the Western, Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of Texas


• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Prior Government Service — Travis County District Attorney's Office

• Chief of the Trial Division; lead prosecuting trial director on complex and high-profile cases


• Chief and Director, Public Integrity Unit—investigation and prosecution of public officials for fraud, election, and white-collar crime, including indictments of a Texas Attorney General and a Texas Supreme Court Justice


• First Assistant County and District Attorney

Publications & Citations

• "When the Government Knocks, Stick to the Script," Texas Lawyer (March 6, 2006)


• "When to Call the Investigation Experts," Texas Lawyer (February 20, 2006)


• Authored a criminal-defense guide to the Texas Rules of Evidence (TCDLA)


• Work cited in law reviews at St. Mary's University School of Law (corporate investigations and the attorney-client privilege) and Seattle University School of Law (federal white-collar investigations)

Representative Matters

Over his career, Mr. Florey has served as lead counsel in a wide range of serious state and federal cases, including:

• Federal appeal won on sentencing guidelines before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals


• Defense of a surviving Branch Davidian in federal court and congressional hearings


• Federal defense of a client accused of a series of bank robberies


• Federal drug-trafficking defense, including a case involving the transportation of 75 pounds of methamphetamine


• Federal defense of a client charged in connection with a nightclub-enterprise investigation


• Defense of a client accused of a securities-fraud (Ponzi) scheme charged by the SEC


• Homicide and self-defense matters, including a case resulting in a grand-jury no-bill and dismissal of charges


• DWI and intoxication cases, including successful challenges to flawed blood-test evidence


• White-collar and embezzlement matters resolved without prison time

Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist — State & Federal AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®

Ben Castleman Florey, Jr., Attorney at Law