Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in Fort Worth, TX

Honors/Awards:

• Benson was named a2019 Top Attorney by 360 West Magazine. , Top Attorney, 360 West Magazine, 2019
• Benson was named a 2018 Top Attorney by 360 West Magazine, Top Attorney, 360 West Magazine, 2018
• Named a Top 100 Trial Attorney, National Trial Lawyers Association, 2014: Benson Varghese has been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association. Admission to the National Trial Lawyers is by invitation only and is made up of civil litigators and criminal defense attorneys from across the country. To be named as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, an attorney must first be nominated by a member and then go through an evaluation process before being selected. A committee evaluates each nominee to ensure future members meet their standards for trial experience, peer recognition, leadership and community involvement., Named a Top 100 Trial Attorney, National Trial Lawyers Association, 2014
• Benson was named a 2019 Top Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine, Top Attorney , Fort Worth Magazine, 2019
• Elected Vice President of Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association, 2017: Benson Varghese, founder and managing partner of Varghese Summersett PLLC, has been elected vice president of the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association (TCCDLA.) TCCDLA made the announcement on Nov. 14, 2017,  five days after the nominations were announced during the bar association’s monthly luncheon in Fort Worth. Varghese was among 11 criminal defense attorneys named to the 2018 TCCDLA Executive Board. “I am honored to have been selected by the defense bar to serve in this capacity,” Varghese said. “I look forward to assisting the Board modernize our online offerings, increase membership benefits, and better serve our local criminal defense community.” , Elected Vice President of Tarrant County Criminal Defense Bar, 2017
• Rated 10.0 , AVVO
• Elected a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, 2016: Benson Varghese has been elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation — an honor reserved for few Texas attorneys. Each year, only one-third of 1 percent of Texas lawyers are invited to become Fellows. Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation are selected for outstanding professional achievement and commitment to the community. Members are vetted and elected by the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Selection is a mark of distinction and recognition.        , Elected Fellow of Texas Bar Foundation, 2016
• Named Minority Leader in Business, 2017: Benson Varghese, founder and managing partner of the law firm Varghese Summersett PLLC, has been named a 2017 Minority Leader in Business by the Fort Worth Business Press. Varghese was recognized along with other North Texas business leaders on Thursday, Dec. 14, during a luncheon at the Fort Worth Club. “I am honored to have been recognized as a top business leader by the Fort Worth Business Press,” Varghese said.   “The award recognizes that diverse backgrounds can enhance the strength of, and innovation within, our business community.”, Named Minority Leader in Business, 2017
• Benson has been named a "Top Attorney" by Fort Worth Magazine every years, from 2016 through the present, Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine, 2018
• Benson was named a 2017 "Top Attorney" by 360 West Magazine, Top Attorney, 360 West Magazine, 2017

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Board Member, 2018
• Federal Bar Association, Member, 2018
• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member, 2018
• Tarrant County Young Lawyer's Association, Past Board Member
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2018
• American Bar Association, Member, 2018
• Dallas County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member, 2018
• Liberty Leadership Council, Executive Committee Member (Texas Public Policy Foundation)
• National Rifle Association, Lifetime Member
• College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2018
• Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Bar Association, 2018
• Christian Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 2018
• Eldon B. Mahon Inns of Court, Associate Member, 2011

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Each year, Benson and his firm offer criminal justice scholarships to law school students, and special needs scholarships to youth under age 15 with autism or down syndomre. Two of the firm's top attorneys, Christy Jack and Letty Martinez, have children with special needs and this cause is especially important to the firm., 2019
• Varghese Summersett Receives 2018 TVAS Pro Bono Law Firm Partner Award, 2018:  Varghese Summersett PLLC, the largest criminal defense firm in Tarrant County, has received the 2018 Law Firm Partner Pro Bono Award from Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services (TVAS.) The firm was recognized for its commitment to pro bono legal representation along with other attorneys, law firms, and organizations on Wednesday, Jan. 24 during the 2018 Pro Bono Awards luncheon at the Fort Worth City Club. “We are honored to have been recognized by Tarrant County Volunteer Services,” said Benson Varghese, founder and managing partner of the firm. “Each year, our attorneys devote 10 to 20 percent of their time assisting indigent Tarrant County residents who can’t afford an attorney. One of the ways we achieve this is by partnering with TVAS to participate in legal clinics. It’s a great partnership and we couldn’t be more proud of this award.”, 2018

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• Presenter, What you can learn from Tiger Woods' DUI Arrest, Texas Young Lawyers Association, 2017
• Benson has authored hundreds of legalarticles on his website blog, which have been picked up and quoted by numerous publications and media outlets. The Versus Texas blog placed second overall in the Expert Institute’s 2018 Legal Blog Contest and first in the criminal law category. The blog has become a go-­‐to resource for clients, reporters, and other lawyers. His articles have been featured on Texas Bar Today, Above the Law, and quoted on the air and online by newspapers and reporters across the state., Author, Versus Texas Blog, 2019
• Mr. Varghese organized and hosted the second-annual White Collar Seminar in downtown Fort Worth, which offered 7.5 hours of CLE and was attended by more than 100 federal prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys., Course Director, Federal White Collar Seminar, Criminal Law, Federal Law, Legal, White Collar, 2019
• Since 2018, Benson has organized and hosted a White Collar Seminar in downtown Fort Worth attended by federal prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys., Course Director, Federal White Collar Seminar, 2018
• Benson Varghese writes an Op-Ed for the Fort Worth Star Telegram regarding the District Attorney's double standard for grand jury procedures - one for civilians and another for law enforcement., Writer, Does Tarrant DA have different grand jury standard for suspects who are cops?, Op-Ed: Fort Worth Star Telegram, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• Presenter, Avoiding a DWI in Texas, Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar (TAPS), 2018

Verdicts/Settlements:

• On September 25, 2019, a Tarrant County jury acquitted a client on an assault charge., 2019
• On September 19, a Tarrant County jury acquitted a client on a felony charge of having a prohibitied item in a correctional facility., 2019

Representative Clients:

• Benson represents retained and court-appointed clients in a wide array of state and federal criminal matters., 2018

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Featured in Fort Worth Business Press, "Why I love where I work.", 2018
• The Law Firm of Varghese Summersett was voted "Best Law Firm" in Tarrant County in the Star-Telegram's Fort Worthy Contest., 2018
• Named One of Fort Worth's Fastest Growing Companies (No.6) by Fort Worth Inc. Magazine., 2019
• Varghese Summersett was No. 782 on Inc. Magazine's list of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies., 2018
• Benson Varghese was a FW Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence Finalist, 2017

Videos:

• , Top Three Marijuana Mistakes, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , Can you clear your criminal record in Texas>, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , How do you get out of jury duty?, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , Bonds in Criminal Cases: Arraignment to Bond Reductions and Modificiations, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , What constitutes animal cruelty in Texas?, 2019
• , What happens if you get caught using a fake ID in Texas?, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , Porch Pirates Beware, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• , Can Vaping THC Land You in Prison?, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• Varghese Summersett PLLC | Tried and True Trial Attorneys
• , Are There Two Tiers of Criminal Justice in Tarrant County?, Criminal Law, Legal, 2019
• Tarrant County's Mental Health Program
• The shocking truth about police investigative techniques
• Varghese Summersett PLLC
• What you need to know about DWI's in Texas

Newsletters:

• , Varghese Summersett October 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett August 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett September 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett June 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett July 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett April 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett May 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett March 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett January 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett February 2019 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett December 2018 Newsletter
• , Varghese Summersett October 2018 Newsletter, Criminal Law, Legal
• , Varghese Summersett November 2018 Newsletter
• Varghese Summersett August 2018 Newsletter
• Varghese Summersett September 2018 Newsletter

Educational Background:

• Texas Tech University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2009
• Southern Methodist Univeristy, B.B.A., 2004