Andy Nolen: Today’s Last Chapter
In conclusion from this post, this post, this post, and this post:
Andy Nolen has been disciplined by the State Bar before. He persists in engaging in deceptive advertising. In my opinion, he needs to be removed from what passes in his world for the “practice of law.” Whether they know it or not, his clients are getting screwed.
I was willing to leave Andy Nolen be, and leave it to the buyers to beware, until I discovered that good lawyers had received false one-star reviews for his benefit.
In terms of attacks, this was the online equivalent of throwing rocks: annoying, but primitive and ineffectual. My first instinct, I’ll admit, was to retaliate by ordering up a virtual cruise-missile strike of a thousand bad reviews for Andy Nolen. It would have been so easy. And, like my dad often says (in the context of dog training), the best correction is the one you only have to do once.
Still, it was a low-class idea, I know. But, hey: what defines us is not the ideas our evil inner genii have, but whether we follow them.
False reviews of lawyers are lies. Lies are Andy Nolen’s style. That Andy Nolen has any clients at all is a tribute to the power of lies. Real human beings have hired Andy Nolen on the strength of false reviews, and some have no doubt suffered for it.
My style, by contrast to Andy’s, is to tell the truth, and to spread it far and wide. (This sometimes surprises people who have prejudices against criminal-defense lawyers, but there’s almost always some truth helpful to the accused.) If you’ve read this series of posts and formed a fair opinion of Andy Nolen’s character and ethics, I hope you’ll let his potential clients know it here.
The State Bar is not going to disbar Andy Nolen because fake reviews have been posted in his favor; it might disbar him if complaints like madmom’s turn into grievances. Before that happens, his clients need to know that it’s not okay for a lawyer to fail to appear in court and to fail to return phone calls.
There are parts of Andy’s story that I have yet to tell. Like what lies behind his conduct. And the stories of a few of his former clients. If he were smart, he’d accept this beating and move on.
But nothing I’ve seen him do gives me any reason to think he’s smart. I fully expect him, like an addict, to respond to my posts (and those of others) with more lies. That’s his style.
A lie gets halfway in the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. But the truth endures and, unless he changes his deceptive ways, Andy Nolen is going to wind up with no law license and, worse, no friends.
In the long run, nothing beats the truth. Nothing ever will.
[Update: For more on Andy Nolen, see:
Houston criminal-defense lawyer Paul Kennedy: I’m calling you out, Andy Nolen.
Houston criminal-defense lawyer Cynthia Henley: Thinking about hiring Andy Nolen — let’s put it this way — you better shop around …
Miami criminal-defense lawyer Brian Tannebaum: In Houston, Criminal Defense Lawyer Andy Nolen is the Best. Everyone Else Sucks.
Houston criminal-defense lawyer Murray Newman: When We All Agree
Houston criminal-defense lawyer John Floyd: Houston Attorney Andy Nolen: A Dishonest Lawyer?
The Further Adventures of “Lawyer” Andy Nolen
The Continuing Adventures of “Lawyer” Andy Nolen
Andy Nolen: Total Fraud?
Andy Nolen: Today’s Last Chapter]
About The Author
“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”
Sam Ewing
Mark, I appreciate your unselfish efforts on this issue. As a defense lawyer, I expect to be attacked from the government. I never expected to be attacked from behind. Thanks for keeping an eye on our bar. I would like to second your motion for Asshat Lawyer of the Day!
Total Fraud? What do you think?
Thanks for the information. I enjoyed this series. I’m disgusted and feel sorry for this attorney. Hopefully the State Bar will take away his license or he changes.
Couldn’t find him in the State Bar directory. Wanted to confirm his interns assertion that he had been practicing 17 years. Never heard of him, so it couldn’t have been practicing crim law in Houston.
I appreciate the article but do not it is in the right forum. The Bar should investigate and do what is proper.
[…] not anger Texas criminal defense law blogger Mark Bennett. Just don’t […]
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Thanks for guarding the public from this shitheel shyster, Mr. Bennett.
What a prick. Take his ass down, Bennett.
[…] lawyer marketing. If we—the bar, honest members of the practical blawgosphere—let people like Andy Nolen and the Fresno criminal defense lawyer slide with their flaming astroturf and their content scraping, we’ll […]