Texas Criminal Defense Attorneys for Athletes & High Profile Clients

Athletes & High Profile Clients best defense against criminal charges

As professional athletes & high profile clients, your career is high stakes-both in and out of the limelight. A single legal issue can jeopardize your reputation, freedom, and future. Whether you're facing criminal charges, an investigation, or other false accusations, you need a defense team that understands the unique pressures high-profile individuals face.

Barbieri Law Firm - lead by founding attorney Heather J Barbieri - provides strategic, discreet, and relentless legal protection for athletes and high profile clients, ensuring you have the best defense possible-so you can stay focused on your career.

Our lawyers keep their caseload small, so that each client gets the attention and dedication they deserve. Call today to schedule your free confidential case evaluation and learn more about how our firm can give you a significant advantage.

We Defend High Profile Clients Against Criminal Charges

At Barbieri Law Firm, we defend client high-profile clients against a wide range of criminal charges, including:

• Sexual Assault & Title IX Violations (including under age sex)
• Assault
• Domestic Violence Allegations
• Drug-Related Offenses
• Gun Charges
• Hazing Accusations
• DWI Charges
• Disorderly Conduct & Public Intoxication
• Reckless Driving
• Probation or Bail Violations
• Obstruction of Justice & Interference

When accusations first surface, the most important thing you can do is find skilled lawyers with a reputation for success and experience defending clients in criminal cases.

Strategic Defense

Being in the public eye means being held to higher standards, and even minor allegations can lead to suspensions, media scrutiny, and career setbacks. At Barbieri Law Firm, every move we make is calculated, based on years of experience outsmarting the prosecution and delivering results. In the fight of your life, you need a law firm that doesn't just defend–you need one that dominates.

Our Process

Free Confidential Consultation

We start with a one-on-one conversation where we listen, ask key questions, and begin assessing your legal situation.

Case Review & Early Action

Our in-house investigator reviews police reports, statements, and any available evidence, eliminating the delays and added costs of outsourcing. If you’re under investigation, we may be able to intervene early.

Strategic Legal Plan

Every assault case is different. Once we understand the details, we develop a personalized legal strategy focused on dismissal, reduction, or acquittal, depending on what’s possible in your case.

Proactive Defense

We don’t wait for the DA to act. Our lawyers file motions, challenge weak evidence, and negotiate aggressively.

Courtroom Advocacy or Case Resolution

Whether through a favorable plea deal or a full trial, we fight for the best outcome possible. You’ll always know where your case stands, what’s coming next, and what your options are.

Criminal Defense Lawyers: Frequently Asked Questions

How Our Criminal Defense Lawyers Defend You

In Texas, criminal charges fall into two main categories: misdemeanors and felonies.

• Misdemeanors are considered less serious offenses but can still carry significant penalties. They are divided into Class A, B, and C misdemeanors. Punishments range from fines up to $500 (Class C) to up to one year in county jail and $4,000 in fines (Class A).
• Felonies are more serious and include crimes like aggravated assault, drug trafficking, or sexual assault. Felonies are classified from State Jail Felonies to First-Degree Felonies and can result in 2 years to life in prison, along with substantial fines and long-term consequences like losing voting rights or professional licenses.

Whether you’re facing a misdemeanor or felony, both can have lasting impacts—and both deserve a strong legal defense.

With vast criminal defense experience fighting all levels of charges, we ensure clients receive expert representation:

• Compassionate Guidance: We know criminal accusations can be stressful, so we keep you informed, supported, and prepared—every step in the process.
• Thorough Early Investigation: We gather evidence fast—texts, surveillance, digital records—to challenge false claims before charges are filed.
• Strategic Negotiation and Courtroom Strength: Our attorneys know how to present exculpatory facts early, often stopping cases before they start.
• Reputation Defense: False accusations carry stigma—we fight to clear your name both in court and in the court of public opinion.
• High-Stakes Trial Experience: With a collaboratives approach to trial defense, our clients receive a team of legal experts with a proven track record of winning Not Guilty verdicts and acquittals.

We protect your name, freedom, and future—because you’ve worked too hard to let legal challenges define you.

What to Expect in a Texas Criminal Defense Case

We know being accused of criminal charges can feel scary and confusing. But you don’t have to face it alone. You may be investigated long before you’re arrested. That’s where an expert criminal defense lawyer can come in to help mount a defense before the State decides to file charges. If the State files charges, a criminal case then moves through the court system in a systematic way.

Here are the usual stages in a criminal case:

1. Investigation – Police or others gather information
2. Pre-Filing – The case might still be under review
3. Case Filed – Charges are officially made
4. Trial or Plea – Your case goes to court, or a deal is made
5. Case Disposition – A decision is made
6. Closing – Your case is wrapped up

Click the button below to download our Legal Process Roadmap resource.

If You’re Under Investigation

If your case is still under investigation, we may be able to intervene before charges are even filed.

If your case is still in the investigation stage, it’s a crucial time to have a lawyer involved. Your attorney will stay in contact with law enforcement to monitor developments and prepare you for what may come next. If charges are likely, we’ll help you make a plan—so if an arrest is coming, you can handle it calmly and with a clear strategy.

Even before you step into a courtroom, your legal team is already working. Our paralegals regularly check with the court to track whether charges have been filed or if a grand jury hearing is scheduled. We’ll keep you updated on every new development—so nothing catches you off guard.

In-House Investigator for Superior Case Management

A seasoned 36-year law enforcement veteran now leads our investigations team. She will handle everything from gathering evidence to preparing reports and providing testimony, working directly with our legal team to tailor strategies and ensure the best defense possible for our clients.

• With an in-house investigator, we eliminate the delays and added costs of outsourcing, enabling faster action and more precise case strategies that lead to better outcomes for our clients.

How Charges Are Filed in Texas

There are two ways charges typically move forward:

• By Information: Common for misdemeanors and less serious offenses. The DA files the charge directly.
• By Indictment: Used for felonies. A grand jury reviews the case and decides if there’s enough evidence to move forward.

Once charges are filed.

Once charges are filed, you become the defendant and your case is assigned a cause number and a court date.

Here’s a breakdown of key court appearances in most criminal cases:

• Arraignment or Initial Appearance: Your first court date. The judge reads the charges, and you enter a plea—guilty or not guilty. Evidence sharing begins here.
• Status Conferences / Announcement Settings: These check-in hearings track progress. Your lawyer may be negotiating with the DA or still reviewing the evidence.
• Pretrial Hearings: Your attorney may ask the judge to dismiss weak evidence or challenge how it was obtained.

Your Case, Your Decision

After building your defense, your case will reach a decision point:

• Plea Deal: The DA may offer a deal. We’ll explain the pros, the risks, and your options clearly. You stay in control—we’re here to guide, not pressure.
• Trial: If you reject the plea, we’ll prepare for trial before a judge or jury, where your case is fully argued and defended.

Disposition Stage: The Final Step

This is where the case is resolved—either by a plea agreement, a jury verdict, or a judge’s ruling after trial. It’s the most serious part of the process, and where everything we’ve done comes to a head.

Real Results: Athletes & High Profile Clients Criminal Defense

High-Profile Allegations Dismissed: Protecting Reputation Through Expert Legal Strategy

Our client, a nationally recognized athletic trainer and former USA Gymnastics medical team member, was charged with child sexual assault in Walker County, Texas. The case gained national attention due to its connection to the Larry Nassar investigation and the Karolyi Ranch. Our senior trial attorney thoroughly investigated the facts, legal theory, and evidence behind the indictment, engaging in extensive motion practice and legal strategy. We communicated regularly with the District Attorney’s office, highlighting the lack of direct evidence and the misapplication of the law to our client’s case. After a thorough review, the charge was dismissed in January 2020, clearing our client’s name.

This case highlights the importance of challenging overreaching legal applications, especially in high-profile cases where media and public opinion can cloud due process. Our firm successfully protected our client’s liberty and professional reputation.

Turning Prosecutorial Insight into Case Dismissals

When a client was facing a felony Assault Family Violence charge, attorney Carrie Thomas—a former Chief Felony Prosecutor for Collin County—used her deep knowledge of how assault cases are built and challenged the State’s assumptions early. Through strategic negotiations and a detailed review of the evidence, she convinced the prosecutor to refuse the case entirely due to insufficient proof.

This is the power of having a former prosecutor on your side—someone who knows how the other side thinks, and how to shut a case down before it ever reaches a courtroom.

Did you know?

Public figures face unique legal risks—even for minor offenses.

In Texas, a charge like public intoxication or assault at a nightclub can escalate quickly when media or reputation is involved. That’s why discretion and strategy matter from day one.

Texas law doesn’t treat celebrity defendants differently.

High-profile clients face the same statutes—but with far more exposure and career risk. Our legal team moves fast to shield both your case and your brand.

Call Barbieri Law Firm—Because the Right Criminal Defense Lawyers Can Change Your Life.

Criminal accusations don’t just threaten your legal record—they threaten your entire life. Don’t wait. When you’re facing criminal charges in any of the counties in North, East, South, or Central Texas, you need a legal team that knows how to win and how to protect you while doing it.

Ready to Fight Back? Call Barbieri Law Firm Today.

Let our seasoned criminal defense lawyers show you what real defense looks like. Call us now or schedule a confidential consultation. We’re the team prosecutors warn each other about. Call 972-424-1902.