HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accomplished trial attorneys Paul Nugent and Heather Peterson have joined to form a new criminal defense law firm, Nugent & Peterson, in Houston. Both lawyers are veterans of Foreman DeGeurin & Nugent, founded by the legendary Percy Foreman, where Mr. Nugent had practiced since 1985 and Ms. Peterson since 1999. They represent individuals and companies being investigated for white-collar criminal violations and serious felonies.
“I have always enjoyed direct control on every aspect of each case that comes to our firm,” Mr. Nugent stated. “If someone has a criminal problem – whether it’s a corporate executive or a grandmother seeking help for her grandson – I want to be the person who takes the call and has the flexibility and independence to accept interesting cases, even challenging ones that other firms might be reluctant to accept. That is the philosophy I learned from Percy Foreman and the other colleagues I have been privileged to work with and it is an approach that my partner, Heather Peterson, shares.”
Paul Nugent is renowned for his eight-year struggle on behalf of Kerry Max Cook, including two capital murder trials and two appeals that reached the United States Supreme Court, before Cook was exonerated and freed from 21 years on Texas Death Row. Nugent also won a federal acquittal in the high-profile “City Hall Six” bribery trial involving alleged corruption by Houston City Council members, and has successfully defended business executives, government officials, lawyers and law enforcement officers facing a wide array of criminal allegations.
“Heather and I welcome the flexibility, creativity and accessibility we are able to offer our clients while we are committed to the highest standards of excellence,” Nugent continued. “We know that not only our personal reputations but the freedom and even the lives of our clients are at stake in every matter, and that is a responsibility we fully accept.”
Among his many honors, Nugent has been named Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association Lawyer of the Year and has received both the Texas Human Rights Foundation Pursuit of Justice Award and the Texas Justice Alliance Award. His extensive record of criminal defense success in state and federal courts has earned him recognition by his peers as a Thomson Reuters SuperLawyer every year since 2003.
Heather Peterson is an experienced trial attorney who has tried over forty jury trials in state and federal courts. She has experience in white-collar matters and complex corporate investigations involving government contracts, energy trading, and allegations of wire fraud and conspiracy. She was selected by H Texas Magazine in 2011 as one of Houston’s top lawyers and has also received “Texas Rising Star” recognition from Texas SuperLawyers.
“Practicing law with Paul Nugent for the past 12 years has helped me develop the commitment and creativity that a good trial attorney needs, and I look forward to working in tandem with him for many years to come,” Peterson said.
Nugent & Peterson is located in the historic Old Citizens Bank Building at 402 Main at Preston Street downtown Houston.