Douglas O'Connell - Austin, TX

Doug O’Connell is well known across Texas as one of the very finest criminal defense attorneys in the state. He has a well-earned reputation as a fierce advocate and unrelenting attorney who fights for his clients. Doug is also nationally recognized for his work defending military service members and law enforcement officers.

Doug has practiced criminal law for over 30 years in central Texas and has extensive experience both as a state and federal prosecutor as well as a criminal defense attorney. He has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer each year for the last five years. National and international media outlets regularly cover Doug’s cases.

People trust Doug to handle their most difficult legal challenges. As a criminal defense attorney Doug has represented politicians, military generals, national media personalities, senior government officials, other high-profile individuals, as well as regular citizens who need a powerful advocate in their corner. Often other Attorneys turn to Doug when they need criminal law representation.

Doug is especially proud of his reputation as the “go-to” attorney for law enforcement officers. The cops are in the courthouse every day, they know which attorneys really fight for their clients. There is no higher endorsement for a criminal defense attorney than when police officers turn to Doug for criminal law help.

While primarily a criminal law attorney, Doug also forcefully prosecutes select civil lawsuits on behalf of clients wronged or threatened by powerful interest or bullies. Typically, these clients never thought they would ever sue someone but are forced to fight back and turn to Doug for assistance.

In addition to his Criminal Defense practice, Doug represents Veterans and Military Service Members in a variety of tough situations, including Military Justice issues. He regularly defends Service Members across the country who face collateral consequences in their military careers due to criminal or civil charges.

Doug is the youngest of six children and attended college on a ROTC scholarship. After several years of Active Duty at Fort Hood, Texas, Doug became a Reserve Officer and attended law school. He graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law and was licensed as an Attorney in 1994.

Doug began his legal career in Austin, Texas, as a Misdemeanor Prosecutor with the Travis County Attorney’s Office. Later Doug served as a Felony Prosecutor with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, before moving to the United States Attorney’s office in Austin where he was the Special Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting federal crimes.

Over the years, Doug prosecuted countless cases including DWI, Assault, Robbery, Burglary, Theft, Sexual Assault, Felony in Possession of a Firearm, Controlled Substances, Murder and Capital Murder. He has tried over 100 Jury Trials and an incalculable number of Bench Trials. Doug is confident that his years as a Prosecutor give him an advantage when defending citizens; he’s able to identify, evaluate, and exploit potential weaknesses in the government’s case.

As a Criminal Defense Attorney, Doug has represented clients accused of misdemeanor and felony offenses in State and Federal Courts and has aggressively fought for clients in jury trials including Driving While Intoxicated, Assault, Manslaughter, Sexual Assault and Murder. Often Doug’s clients are people who’ve never been in trouble with the law and need advice and counsel on how to protect their rights.

Doug also represents corporations and small businesses, often within the defense industry. He has a wealth of experience dealing with issues such as grand jury subpoenas, civil investigative demands, and federal “target letters.” He has expertise in investigating cases and negotiating with prosecutors or other government officials to mitigate potential liability and exposure. Due to his work representing defense contractors, Doug holds a U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance, with further access to Sensitive Compartmentalized Information.

Special Forces Colonel (Green Beret)

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, Doug returned to Active Duty with the United States Army. He deployed to Iraq with U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group and Afghanistan with the U.S. Special Operations Command. In addition, Doug served in Washington, D.C., New York, and other locations with Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and served on the FBI’s Manhattan, NY based Joint Terrorism Task Force focused on terrorism-related cases arising out of the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

During his military career, Doug earned two master’s degrees, one in Homeland Security from the Naval Post Graduate School and the other in National Security / Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Prior to his military retirement, Doug commanded a theater-level Special Operations Unit in the Texas Army National Guard focused on enhancing the counter terrorism capacity of African Countries facing threats from Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other violent extremist groups.

After 30 years of active and reserve duty, Doug retired from the military in 2017 at the rank of Colonel. Doug uses mission-focus, strategic analysis, and his extensive experience to benefit his clients ideally before they find themselves in federal and state court. He also is frequently called on to consult on complex, multi-jurisdictional cases where veterans or service members face criminal or civil charges with significant career and family implications.

Community Involvement

Doug makes it a point to give back to his community. He has served as a Commissioner for the City of Austin’s Veterans Commission, a Vestry member of his Episcopal Church, a Past Director of the Texas Lyceum and a Board Member for the Capitol Area Council, Scouting America. Doug also served as a Board Member and Chair of the Veteran’s program Songwriting with Soldiers. Doug helps run an annual Veterans Fly Fishing Program at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.