Ron Woods, appointed United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas by President George Bush in 1990, has over forty years experience in handling white collar criminal cases.

Mr. Woods recently served as co-counsel in the representation of Jeffrey Skilling, former CEO of Enron, in a lengthy jury trial in federal court in Houston.  Mr. Woods also served as co-counsel in successfully representing U. S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in her directed acquittal of the charges brought by the Travis County District Attorney.  Mr. Woods also served as appointed co-lead counsel with Michael Tigar in representing Terry Nichols in the federal Oklahoma City bombing trial in Denver.  Mr. Tigar and Mr. Woods were successful in obtaining acquittals on the major charges and in avoiding the death penalty for Mr. Nichols.  In 2001, Mr. Woods represented the president of a marine offshore construction company who was indicted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division.  The president was acquitted of all charges after a lengthy jury trial in federal court in Houston.

Ron Woods was named Best Attorney in Houston by the Houston Press in its Annual Best of Houston Issue in 1999 and is currently listed in Best Lawyers in America. From 2003 through 2007, Mr. Woods has been one of eight attorneys in Texas to be named by his peers to The International Who’s Who of Business Crime Lawyers.  Also from 2003 through 2007, Mr. Woods has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by his peers in White Collar Criminal Defense in Texas Monthly.

Upon graduation from the University of Texas Law School, Ron Woods became a Special Agent and Legal Advisor in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, gaining four years of hands-on experience in how all federal investigative agencies initiate cases, conduct investigations and make decisions as to seeking charges or closing the investigation.

Mr. Woods next spent sixteen years gaining invaluable experience as a state and federal prosecutor in Houston trying white collar crime cases before a judge and jury.  Many of the trials were high profile cases tried against the most experienced and prominent attorneys at that time.  Mr. Woods received many awards for his work within the Department of Justice and in 1980, he was one of thirty federal prosecutors from across the nation to be designated Senior Litigation Counsel, a position created that year to recognize federal prosecutors with outstanding trial records in significant cases over an extended period of time.

Ron Woods next practiced five years as a defense attorney successfully representing corporations and individuals accused of business and white collar crimes before he was appointed United States Attorney in Houston by President George Bush to address the escalating savings and loan scandals.  Mr. Woods reorganized the U.S. Attorney’s Office and increased the number of attorneys to 130, addressing all areas of federal prosecution, including the savings and loan cases.  Mr. Woods also served as one of the U.S. Attorneys advising the Attorney General on environmental crimes policies for the Department of Justice.

Upon the change of administration in January 1993, Mr. Woods re-entered private practice and has successfully represented numerous corporations and individuals accused of violating environmental, health care fraud, bank fraud, RICO, customs export, foreign corrupt practices, antitrust, criminal tax, securities fraud, money laundering, civil and criminal forfeiture, mail and wire fraud, kickback, extortion, bribery, public corruption, embezzlement, misapplication and theft statutes.  Because of his extensive first hand experience in all areas of investigating, prosecuting and defending white collar crime cases, Mr. Woods is often successful in convincing the agents and prosecutors before indictment that the case does not merit prosecution.

If the case is indicted and goes to trial, Ron Woods’ experience in having tried over 125 felony jury trials in state and federal court assures the client will have the most experienced representation possible.  Mr. Woods has also taught trial advocacy at the University of Texas Law School Trial Advocacy Program for ten years.