Texas License Defense

(aka Administrative Law)

Fighting License-Related Fines & Penalties

Received a letter from a Texas licensing agency threatening fines or to punish your license? Thinking about signing a settlement offer?

Worried about embarrassing violations coming up when customers search for your name or your company?

Has a state regulator or investigator asked for documents or an interview?

If so, you should call me for a free consultation right now before making any critical decisions.

When a Texas licensing agency starts asking you questions, they may have already been investigating a complaint against you for a long while. It’s important to clear up any misinformation from a vengeful ex-customer or jealous competitor ASAP. But it’s even more important to have an experienced attorney prepare and handle that response, then defend you until the case is done.

I spent 12 years as a Texas license prosecutor for over 40 different industries:

  • I reviewed and guided investigations, issued fines, and revoked licenses.

  • I helped rewrite many of the laws and rules that govern professional licenses.

  • I fought and won dozens of licensing hearings and rulings from the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation.

My name is Trevor Theilen. Let my experience and passion for winning handle Texas regulators. Together, we can set the record straight and protect your license and your reputation.

There are 2 essential stages where an experienced attorney is essential to properly handle a complaint against your company or your license:

  • When the regulators are investigating a complaint but have not yet made up their minds about the evidence.

  • After the decision to prosecute has been made and you have been notified of pending violations, fines, or license penalties.

At either of these stages, I can handle all communications with the regulators. Together, we will prepare evidence that will fairly show what the complaint gets wrong. I’ll work to persuade the regulators to dismiss the complaint before it develops into an official proceeding.

If the agency decides to threaten fines or license punishment, you probably still have plenty of opportunity to fight back if you ask quickly. Depending on the case and how early you bring me in, I can:

  • Present evidence and argue that the prosecutor should dismiss without a hearing.

  • Request the case be thrown out without a hearing.

  • Vigorously scrutinize and challenge the agency’s evidence and witnesses at a hearing. Present your evidence and fairly set the record straight.

  • Point out any mistakes from the hearing judge.

  • Defend you to a licensing board right before they make the final call on your case.

  • Challenge any negative decision through an appeal to District Court and beyond.

I represent clients across the entire state of Texas against almost any type of licensing agency. Here are some (but not all) agencies and licenses I work on:

  • Texas Medical Board (Doctors/Physicians, Technicians, Medical Practicitioners)

  • Texas Board of Nursing (Nurses (RN, LVN), Nurse Practitioners)

  • Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or “TDLR” (Podiatrists, Electricians, Air Conditioning Professionals, Towing Operators and Companies, Barbers, Cosmetologists, Massage Therapists and Massage Establishments, and many more. I worked for 12 years as a TDLR prosecutor, leaving in 2023. I doubt there is another attorney in private practice with more recent and extensive experience with that agency and its licensees.)

  • Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (Chiropractors)

  • Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (Dentists, Hygienists, Dental Assistants)

  • Texas State Board of Pharmacy (Pharmacists, Facilities)

  • Texas Optometry Board (Optometrists)

  • Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (Psychologists, Therapists, Professional Counselors, Social Workers)

  • Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (Accountants (CPA), Public Accounting Firms)

  • Texas State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Engineers, Land Surveyors)

  • Texas State Board of Veterinary Examiners (Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Technicians (LVT))

  • Texas Department of Insurance (Adjusters, Agents, Agencies)

  • Texas Department of State Health Services or “DSHS” & Texas Health and Human Services Commission (EMS Personnel, Tattoo and Body Piercing Studios)

  • Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (Plumbers, Inspectors)

  • Most other Texas regulatory agencies & license types.

Don’t face state regulators alone. You are not out of options.

Protect your income and your future. Call Trevor today.

Career Impact of a Criminal Plea or Conviction

Worried about what could happen to your professional license if you plead out your criminal case?

You should be.

A criminal conviction (or even a gentle deferred adjudication probation for a minor offense) can destroy your career through a license revocation, suspension, or probation. Even if your criminal judge and prosecutor want you to keep your license and your job, they will probably not decide that issue.

After any criminal plea (even for a deferred adjudication!) statewide regulators and licensing boards consider whether your keep your professional license or not. They don’t use criminal law or traditional courtrooms to do this work. They may be located hundreds of miles away from you, working on your case without even notifying you.

Your license case might run out of options if you take a plea bargain without first considering how a regulator will react.

You may already have a great criminal defense lawyer negotiating an excellent deal for your case. If so, that was a wise decision and I’m happy for you. However, the vast majority of criminal defense lawyers (and the prosecutors and judges) have little to no experience handling professional license cases based on criminal convictions or deferred adjudications. They likely only practice criminal law, not administrative law.

I spent over 6 years in Austin using criminal history to decide whether to grant, revoke, or deny thousands of professional licenses across 40+ licensed industries. I represented a state agency at dozens of hearings and licensing board meetings. I helped craft laws and rules regarding whether a license should be revoked after a criminal case. I combine criminal and administrative law regularly.

Put my experience to work protecting your right to work before you sign up for a plea bargain. I can help in different situations:

  • You already have an excellent criminal defense lawyer: Great! Tell them that I’m available to consult on the best strategies for keeping your license safe. Your attorney and I can team up to offer a complete view of your options on both the criminal case and a future license case. My consultation fee will be credited toward my fee for defending your license if the state does move against it. This service is available statewide.

  • You represent yourself in a criminal case: I can research your situation and lay out your options for best protecting your professional license, even if I don’t handle the criminal case itself. My consultation fee will be credited toward my fee for defending your license if the state does move against it. This service is available statewide.

  • You need both a criminal defense lawyer and a license protection lawyer: If your criminal case is in or close to the DFW area and you have a professional license, hire me so I can handle them together. As we work through your criminal case, I will advise you about the potential impact on your license. Once the criminal case is over, we will hopefully have safeguarded your license and you’ll never hear from the state. If they do move to take your license, we will be better prepared to fight that case.

  • You are a criminal defense lawyer and want me to consult with you and your client on the case’s impact on their license: I would love to team up and craft a criminal case strategy that also protects the license. If a license case does happen after the criminal case, my consultation fee will be credited toward my license defense fee. This service is available statewide.

  • You have already pled out a criminal case and someone is trying to revoke your license, suspend it, or put it on probation: While it’s always better to plan for or around a license case before pleading out a criminal case, that’s not always possible. Whatever the situation, I can help you. Often, you still have a chance to present evidence that proves you should stay licensed. I will protect your right to be heard and fight hard to convince the licensing agency or board not to destroy your career. This service is available statewide.

Your paycheck and your future need strong protection. I will work hard to prevent a license fight down the road. If the state does come after you, take my 12 years of licensing law experience into battle.

Call Trevor now.

Applying for a Texas License with Criminal History

Concerned about an old offense limiting your dream career?

Convinced that old deferred adjudication is “off your record”?

Thinking about leaving old criminal history off a license application?

Make a free call to Trevor first.

Texas courts and law enforcement create and share extensive and detailed criminal history records with Texas licensing agencies. These records show convictions, arrests, and DEFERRED ADJUDICATIONS. In many situations, even an old deferred adjudication can complicate or prevent a person from becoming licensed.

When they see this criminal history, a licensing agency will often make a hugely consequential decision about your application early on. This decision might not be the final word, but it can greatly impact the application’s chances. I can help you put together your application and maximize your chances of getting licensed.

As a Texas license prosecutor, I reviewed the criminal history of hundreds of license applicants weekly for over 6 years. I made the decision of whether to grant the license up front or start an investigation. Here are some common reasons a licensing agency might investigate your application and hold up your license for months:

  • You misread the application form and did not follow a minor instruction.

  • You left out criminal history you thought was no longer part of your record.

  • You thought you didn’t need to tell the agency about a deferred adjudication.

  • You reported criminal history but did not explain enough or got some details wrong.

  • You wrote “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” when they asked you to explain the offense.

  • You left part of a form blank by accident.

  • Your explanation of your criminal history rubbed the prosecutor the wrong way.

  • The prosecutor mistakenly thinks you lied on your application.

My help at the application stage could save you months of delay in starting work or getting your education. Let me examine your criminal history with the eye of an ex-prosecutor and anticipate which obstacles we might face. We will carefully craft your application to better persuade the agency to look past your past and see the quality applicant you are today.

If we can’t avoid an investigation, I will speak on your behalf with the regulators and investigators. I can try to speed up their review and provide any crucial evidence that helps your case. Often, the agency can be convinced to license you at this stage. If not, we can usually ask for a hearing, where I will present a strong case to persuade an impartial judge that you deserve to be licensed.

Don’t make your license harder to obtain by going it alone. I am here to hold your hand and guide you start-to-finish.

Call me for free today.