My name is Julio Gaytan. I am so grateful with Mr Chernoff. I have Felony convictions and came out of prison a few years ago. I got a 3rd DWI and hired an attorney who sold me out on my first court. Forced me to plea for a 4 year sentence without seeing evidence or talk to family. I was on bond. Had to turn myself in in 30 days after signing the plea.I fierd that lawyer after going home and hired Mr Chernoff after good recommendation. Mr Chernoff since day one was so professional in listening to me and walk me through and told me i did not deserve to go back seeing that i was doing so good. I understand my mistake and really thought i was going back. Mr. Chernoff asure me that he will get me probation. So grateful for the outcome, i got probation, he got me of the plea and i am home with my wife, working. I greatly recommend Mr Chernoff, the best . read more

Exceeding 5 stars Mr. Ed Chernoff is a dedicated lawyer who accomplishes your needs to return your livelihood and takes care of you every step of the process. From the first call made, had us feel a breath of relief that he could handle our case. To the first meet where we received professionalism and respect towards every word, highly identifying that he is an excellent lawyer that can create the solution to any criminal problem. With his help our case was dismissed. We could not have asked for a better experience. Our calls with questions always answered and responded and his exceptional assistant Gina that kept us in the loop. If you are looking for a lawyer that will defend you and make a positive impact towards your case, you are on the right page. A highly experienced lawyer that will aggressively attack and resolve your criminal case with baffling ease and haste. Thank you, Mr. Ed Chernoff for all your Help!! read more

After being charged with felony assault of a police officer, I sought out recommendations for criminal defense attorneys from a friend who had worked as a federal prosecutor. After some interviews, I narrowed down the selection to Matt Alford and another well-respected defense attorney. The two both seemed good, but I ended up selecting Alford. It turned out to clearly be the best choice. Matt explained to me how best to approach the case and helped me understand possible outcomes and their chances. The outcome he achieved for me was the very best possible outcome he laid out. Matt was first able to get the felony dismissed and knocked down to a misdemeanor. He was then able to get me a pre-trial diversion, which is as good as it gets--pre-trial diversion is a level better/lighter than deferred adjudication. The process took about a year. About three months of that was because of issues with some of my travel plans, and the rest was part of the process of having the felony knocked down to a misdemeanor. All of the attorneys I interviewed told me that "swift justice" would result in a poor result for me. However, Matt took the time to explain why that was the case. He gave me the option of moving things more quickly, but recommended that I follow his plan. I bring this up because I had multiple court visits. What I got to observe during these court visits was how the judges and court staff and other lawyers interacted with Alford. At the beginning of each court visit, the judge has you stand up to indicate your presence and state the name of your lawyer. This is a rote thing for them to do, and basically the judge stares down at their roster and marks on a paper as they call out all of the names, one after the other. However, on my first court visit, when I stood up and said "Matt Alford," both the judge and the court staff stopped what they were doing and looked up to see who Matt's client was. It was notable in comparison to everyone else's experience and it was my first indication that I had picked the right guy. This happened both in the felony court and then again at the misdemeanor court. That first observation was backed up further by Alford's behavior in the courtroom and how everyone else interacts with him. The judge and court staff ignore all of the other lawyers. In contrast, when they see Matt, they perk up a bit. There is lively banter, usually followed by some discussion of the case. I think they have more respect for him than your typical dense attorney for two reasons: 1) he used to be a prosecutor, and 2) he's simply more professional, intelligent, and polished than every other criminal defense attorney that I saw in the courtroom. From the way they interact, the judges and the court staff definitely like him and respect him. That was clear in both the felony court and the misdemeanor court, which were randomly assigned, so it didn't seem to be a one-off thing. He also seems to have a reputation as someone who won't hesitate to take a case to trial. That combination of rapport and reputation is probably the most important thing you want when selecting a defense attorney. In contrast, the other attorneys in the room, and I probably observed about 75 of them over the course of that 12 months, all acted about the same. None of them really talked to the staff, and none of them talked with the judges. They mostly seemed low energy and disinterested. Matt is clearly an *advocate* who cares about his clients and his work. He's intelligent. He seems to have a strong command of strategic moves. He can be an S.O.B. when he needs to. He argues forcefully. Your case is what it is. You get assigned to the judge. So, really the only variable in your control is who you pick for your attorney. Picking the guy who they take seriously is probably the best strategy. Matt is definitely worth meeting with. _______________ Other things: His pricing was the same as the other attorneys I interviewed who were less impressive. I would not have thought that it would cost as much as it does, but it appears that this is just what attorneys charge in criminal cases--looks to be pretty standard. One side note: I was thrown off a little by Alford's style of dress at first when I went in to interview him. He has a unique sense of style. However, it's an authentic personal style, and from my observations, it further helps to set him apart from the rest of the lawyers in the room. Combined with his professionalism, and because it comes off as authentic, it seems to end up helping to connect him more personally to the judges and the court staff. My point is that if you go to interview him and he's wearing a cowboy hat and a bow tie and a pinstripe suit, don't let that bother you. Everyone at the courthouse is used to it, and it's actually pretty sharp. read more

Mr. Chernoff is one of the best attorney's in Houston. He assisted me with a personal matter and I am forever grateful to have experienced the integrity and care delivered by Mr. Chernoff. Please look no further. You will not regret having him represent you or your loved ones. read more

Earlier this year I had one of the worst experiences of my life. I made a silly mistake in a bar and was charged with a crime that could significantly reduce my ability to earn money. I have a professional license that could be revoked and I have no idea what I'd do without it. Furthermore, I'd have extremely limited options for finding a place to live or even working for companies that do background checks - I think practically all of them do. What made all of this worse is that the crime I was being charged with was something that I indisputably looked guilty of. I knew my intention was not to steal something but based on the police report and the audience that applauded my arrest - it wasn't looking good. I knew that everything hinged on my defense. I have a few close friends who are lawyers, some of them even made recommendations plus I looked up and called close to two dozen different attornies before I ended up calling Ed Chernoff's office. His legal assistant, Natalie, listened to my predicament when I called. I remember noticing that she was easily sharper than all the other lawyers I'd already spoken to - every single one of them. She pointed out holes in the charge that most of the other lawyers had failed to make. After a few minutes on the phone with her, I knew that whoever she worked for had to be smart - I later found out that he was a definite genius. He passed the bar in another state just so he could fully defend one client. He's a former prosecutor so he knows the law from both sides. It's no surprise that a doctor in a nationally followed mega-case who could have chosen anyone he wanted choose Ed. I remember going to court and sitting on the benches with all the other defendants. I would look at all the lawyers as they walked into the courtroom, each with their own airs. I remember thinking I'd be horrified if my fate were in the hands of some of these people. I then remember seeing Ed walk in. I knew that I had made the best decision possible given my scenario. He was obviously well-respected by other defense attornies, prosecutors and judges too. They treated him like he was a famous well-liked professor from an ivy league school. The whole process took three trips to the courthouse and Ed did exactly what he said he'd do - he made it go away. The case was dismissed and I know that it's because of him. read more