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Matt Hennessy joined the law firm of DeGuerin & Dickson in 1994. The firm name was changed to DeGuerin Dickson & Hennessy in 2003. After practicing with Texas lawyer-legend Dick DeGuerin for more than 13 years, Matt left to form his own firm in January 2008. Matt has handled and continues to handle a wide variety of matters in state and federal courts.
Representative Matters:
- The defense of individuals—charged and uncharged—in the investigation and prosecutions triggered by Enron’s collapse.
- Counseling and defending individuals in investigations of suspected Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations. Such representation has included assisting a corporate officer in an internal investigation, defending an individual in a civil enforcement action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and defending individuals charged with criminal violations.
- The defense of a target of the Dynegy-Project Alpha investigation resulting in no charges being filed.
- Counseling and defending the target of an investigation into the reporting and auditing of oil and natural gas reserves of a publicly traded company. No charges were filed.
- The defense of a car dealership owner accused of bank fraud. At trial, the owner was acquitted of bank fraud, but convicted of making a false statement. The false statement charge was reversed on appeal.
- The defense of a public high school administrator charged with tampering with government-required dropout records. After being presented with the results of the defense’s investigation, the State dismissed the charge.
- The representation of a professional basketball player in connection with a melee that broke out in the stands during a game. A spectator claimed that the player assaulted him. Matt sued the spectator for slander on the player’s behalf. No charges were filed.
- The defense of an individual in connection with an east Texas Ponzi scheme resulting in no charges being filed.
- Defending an individual in a fourteen-defendant mortgage fraud indictment. All charges were dismissed.
- The defense of an individual in a civil enforcement action brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) under the Commodities Exchange Act (CEA).
- The defense of an individual falsely accused of sexual assault. Evidence uncovered in that case exposed serious, institutional misconduct within the Houston Police Department crime lab and led to the defendant’s acquittal.
- The defense of a group of hotel owners in a federal civil asset forfeiture proceeding. The hotel owners prevailed and the action was cited before Congress as an example of government overreaching.
- The trial of a murder case in which the jury granted the defendant probation.
- The ongoing representation of an individual in the investigation concerning the Stanford Financial Group.
- Assisting in the defense of noted Texas singer/songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. The jury found him not guilty of aggravated assault.
- The representation of two individuals on appeal before the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands.
Education:
J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law, 1993
B.A., Philosophy, University of Texas, 1989
Professional Memberships and Certifications:
Admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Board Certified, Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1999.
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