Ed McClees is a Houston criminal defense lawyer who is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. A former Harris County prosecutor and chief of the Harris County District Attorney's Office Organized Crime Section, he represents individuals facing serious felony charges, complex criminal investigations, and other criminal allegations in Houston and throughout Texas.

His practice includes murder and capital murder, white-collar and financial offenses, engaging in organized criminal activity, sexual offenses, family-violence allegations, DWI and intoxication offenses, drug cases, and other state and federal criminal matters. He also represents individuals during ongoing investigations, before a charging decision has been made.

Serious and Complex Felony Defense

Serious criminal cases often involve extensive discovery, conflicting witness accounts, forensic or financial evidence, expert testimony, and difficult strategic decisions. Ed approaches these matters through careful investigation, close analysis of the evidence and law, and candid advice about the available options.

His clients have included business executives, government officials, physicians, lawyers, police officers, teachers, refinery workers, and people from many other backgrounds. Each client works directly with Ed in evaluating the government's allegations and developing an appropriate defense strategy.

Former Harris County Organized Crime Section Chief

Before entering criminal defense practice, Ed served as a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. As chief of its Organized Crime Section, he handled investigations and prosecutions involving allegations of engaging in organized criminal activity, money laundering, murder, aggravated robbery, theft, fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, false statements to obtain credit, and other offenses.

His work required coordination with federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, Houston Area Fraud Task Force, and Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Ed also served in the District Attorney's Office Civil Rights Division, where he investigated allegations of police misconduct, and in the Felony Trial Bureau, where he tried serious felony cases including capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. He has additional trial experience involving DWI, intoxication manslaughter, and related offenses.

This background gives him experience examining complex criminal allegations from both the prosecution and defense perspectives.

Criminal Investigations and Pre-Charge Representation

Not every criminal matter begins with an arrest or indictment. Ed represents individuals who learn that they are subjects or targets of state or federal investigations.

Pre-charge representation may involve communicating with investigators or prosecutors, preserving and presenting relevant evidence, conducting an independent investigation, advising the client about interviews or subpoenas, and assessing potential criminal exposure. Ed has represented individuals in matters that concluded without state or federal criminal charges.

His experience conducting fraud and organized-crime investigations has also led businesses to engage him in internal investigations concerning suspected criminal activity.

Representative Matters

Ed's representative matters include:

• An acquittal for a police officer accused of shooting an unarmed person.
• An acquittal in a $1.2 million securities-fraud trial.
• An acquittal on a capital-murder charge arising from an alleged murder committed during a burglary.
• An acquittal on a capital-murder charge involving allegations that two people were killed during a kidnapping.
• Representation of elected officials in state and federal investigations.
• A grand-jury no bill in a capital-murder case involving the deaths of two people.
• Dismissal of an engaging-in-organized-criminal-activity charge against a police sergeant in a public-corruption case.
• A grand-jury no bill for a police officer investigated in connection with a shooting.
• Dismissal of a murder charge in a self-defense case.
• Dismissal of an aggravated-kidnapping charge.
• Grand-jury no bills in murder, sexual-assault, sexual-assault-of-a-child, and injury-to-a-child matters.
• Dismissal of a failure-to-stop-and-render-aid charge arising from a traffic fatality.
• Dismissal of charges against a police officer accused of improper use of force.

Every case depends on its own facts and circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in another matter.

Media Commentary and Legal Analysis

Ed has been interviewed or consulted by national and Houston media organizations concerning criminal-law matters. These outlets include The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Post, NBC, the Houston Chronicle, KPRC, KTRK, and KHOU.

Publications

Ed's published legal writing includes:

• McClees, Ed: A Primer on the Texas Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity Statute (EOCA), Voice for the Defense (Journal for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association) (October 2020).
• McClees, Ed and Thiessen, Mark: Cold Texting: The New Wave of Barratry, Voice for the Defense (Journal for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association) (July 2020).
• Trichter, J. Gary and McClees, Ed: DWI Audio/Video Recordings: Expediting Production Where Charges Have Not Yet Been Filed, Voice for the Defense (Journal for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association) Vol. 45, No. 5 (June 2016).

Education, Certification, and Professional Memberships

Ed received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and graduated cum laude from Texas A&M University.

His credentials and professional affiliations include:

• Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Texas Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense, Super Lawyers is a Thompson Reuters service, 2020-2026
• AVVO Listing - Perfect 10 Rating
• Recipient of 2021 Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association Presidential Award
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Harris County Criminal Lawyer's Association
• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association
• Houston Bar Association

Ed's principal practice is in the greater Houston area, including Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Galveston, Brazoria, Liberty, and Chambers counties. He has handled cases across Texas, and has handled matters pro hoc vice in Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas and Colorado.