Unlike many law firms, Michael & Associates doesn’t measure success based on superficial awards – most awards in the legal space are simply earned by paying for them.

Instead, we measure success based on client outcomes and client satisfaction. That being said, our attorneys have won quite a few awards.

Client Satisfaction Rate

We survey every client after a case is finished, and we ask three questions:

• How would you rate your trial attorney?
• How would you rate your legal assistant?
• How would you rate your overall experience with the firm?

Based on the results of these surveys, we determine our client satisfaction rate.

Here are our client satisfaction rates as of April 16, 2025:

Trial Attorney	98.72%
Legal Assistant	98.33%
Experience with the Firm	97.79%

When you blend these together, our overall client satisfaction rate averages to 98.28%. Unlike online reviews which tend to skew positive, this includes every single client who responds to our survey.

To our knowledge, no other law firm publishes client satisfaction with this level of transparency.

Online Reviews

Here are the ratings for Michael & Associates across all review platforms as of April 16, 2025.

Google Reviews:

Here are the reviews by location and overall on Google:

Location	Rating	Review Count
Austin	5.0 / 5	277
Houston	5.0 / 5	78
Dallas-Fort Worth	5.0 / 5	179
San Antonio	5.0 / 5	173
Overall Google Rating	5.0 / 5	676

With over 670 reviews and a perfect 5 star rating, Michael & Associates is one of the most reviews and highest rated firms in the state of Texas. In fact, we have the 2nd most Google Reviews of any other Texas firm (and the firm who has more reviews has a much lower rating).

Additionally, we do not have a single review under 4 stars as of this writing, a testament to the firm’s focus on client satisfaction.

Other Review Sites

Platform	Rating	Review Count / Status
Better Business Bureau	A+ Rating	Accredited
Avvo	5.0 / 5	19 reviews
Trustpilot	5.0 / 5	13 reviews
Thumbtack	5.0 / 5	101 reviews

Attorney Backgrounds

When you hire Michael & Associates, you don’t just hire one lawyer. You get a team of over 25 seasoned criminal defense attorneys, all who collaborate to beat your case. We believe the diverse experience leads to the best results possible.

• 25 (and counting) Zealous, Tenured Defense Attorneys: There are no baby lawyers here at Michael & Associates. We only hire seasoned defense attorneys who we believe are among the top at their craft.
• 9 former prosecutors: Former prosecutors know how the other side thinks, and bring valuable relationships to the firm.
• 2 former Judges: Having former judges on the team is like a cheat code – they have seen countless cases from both sides, and observed more trials than is possible to see from any other position. They have a unique insight on how to persuade judges and juries.
• 3 DWI Lawyer Scientists: The American Chemical Society (ACS) Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation is the highest certification a DWI lawyer can obtain. Those who earn this designation know more about DWI blood & breath science than police or prosecutors. There are only 117 lawyers in the country who have earned this distinction, and 3 of them work for Michael & Associates.
• 3 Former Public Defenders: Public Defense Offices are the ultimate training ground to become a defense attorney. Public defenders are used to extreme caseloads, handling the toughest of the tough cases. Michael & Associates is lucky to have this experience on the team.
• A Board Certified Criminal Defense Attorney: Less than 2% of lawyers are able to earn this distinction. It signifies extreme knowledge of the law.
• Multiple Super Lawyer Award Winners: Many lawyers put a lot of effort into trying to win this distinction – we’d rather focus on winning cases. That being said, a number of our lawyers have earned the distinction of Super Lawyer or Super Lawyer Rising Star.

Awards and Accolades

The following is a sampling of awards won by Ben Michael, Michael & Associates and / or the attorneys at the firm.

• AVVO Client’s Choice Award 2025
• Top 40 under 40 (American Academy of Attorneys)
• Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney in Texas (2022, Attorney and Practice Magazine)
• 10 Best Attorneys DUI/DWI in Texas by American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys
• 10 Best Attorneys Criminal Law in Texas by American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys
• Ranked Top 5 Criminal Defense Attorney for Not Guilty Verdicts and Trial Win in Harris County
• Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Serving Dallas – Expertise.com
• Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Serving Austin – Expertise.com
• Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Serving San Antonio – Expertise.com
• American Jurisprudence Award for Professional Responsibility (Texas Tech School of Law)
• Honor Court Chief Magistrate, University of Houston Law Center
• Associate Board Member of the Advocates, University of Houston Law Center
• Awards for speaking at Moot Court tournaments, South Texas College of Law
• Achieved rank of Eagle Scout
• 3rd in National Trial Competition in Mock Trial Team
• Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star (2019–2023, Thomson Reuters)
• Top Attorney (2019–2023, Thomson Reuters)
• Champion, Garland Walker Mock Trial Competition, South Texas College of Law
• Super Lawyers Texas Rising Star (Thomson Reuters, since 2018)
• Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers Association
• 10.0 Superb Rating – Top Attorney – Avvo

Additional Courses, Certifications and Memberships

The following is a sampling of courses, memberships or certifications won by Ben Michael, Michael & Associates and / or the attorneys at the firm.

Courses

• NHTSA/IACP Standardized Field Sobriety Practitioner’s Course (completed twice)
• Forensic Chromatography: Theory & Practice (Axion Labs and American Chemical Society)
• Forensic Analysis of Solid Drugs (Axion Labs and American Chemical Society)
• Forensic Principles of DUID (Axion Labs and American Chemical Society)
• Training with Gerry Spence at the Trial Lawyers College Regional Seminar, Estes Park, Colorado
• Charlotte School of Law Advanced Criminal Advocacy Program

Memberships

• Admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• Editorial Board, San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Magazine
• Founding Member, DUI Defense Lawyers Association
• Member, Texas DWI Lawyers Association
• Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Former President, Ellis County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (ECCDLA)
• Appointed to the State Grievance Committee
• National College of DUI Defense
• American Bar Association
• Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
• Houston Bar Association
• Texas Young Lawyers Association
• Former President, Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Former President, Criminal Justice Section of the Austin Bar Association
• Former Austin Chapter President, Federal Bar Association
• Licensed in the United States District Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Texas

Certifications

• Lawyer-Scientist designation, American Chemical Society
• Board Certified in Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (since 2004)
• American Chemical Society (ACS) Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation

Media and Press

Ben Michael has been featured and quoted in numerous news publications, including:

• Dallas Morning News
• KXAN
• KBTX
• Lone Star Live
• Legal Reader
• Bloomberg
• Business Insider
• CNET
• Newsweek
• Austin American-Statesman
• McClatchy News Service
• KERA News
• The Dallas Express