Howard County Lawyers

Andrew pursued family law after realizing his passion for client advocacy and the many opportunities for championing a client’s best interests. He is especially drawn to courtroom litigation and mediation as solutions for clients’ cases and a match for his skills. Andrew's goal is to build trust with his clients so that they find peace of mind knowing he is in their corner.

Clients with family law concerns can rely on Jack to put them on a better footing for the future. People going through divorce and other family issues make decisions that affect the rest of their lives, and Jack helps them prioritize what really matters. He steps into his clients’ shoes and advocates for them from a practical and empathetic perspective.

J. Chris Dean graduated with his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in Houston. From an early age, Chris grew up with the idea that we should always help people during their time of need. As an experienced personal injury attorney, Chris helps others by fighting for the maximum compensation from insurance companies. No matter how serious or complicated an injury is, Chris is always there to help. While his approach always changes depending on the needs of his clients, the end goal is always the same: to help people. Call Chris to discuss your case for free.

Our teams start with a deep understanding of our clients’ business objectives. We share knowledge across practices and regions. We help our clients not only mitigate risk, but also discover opportunity. And each success begins with the same simple question…

How can we help you?

By pooling our energy, talents and resources, we are able to achieve the highest order of excellence in the practice and profession of the law. Through such practice we are able to give back to our communities, and in all things to govern ourselves as members of a free democratic society with responsibilities both to our profession...

Originally from Kyle, Texas, Mr. Ornelas is a first generation college graduate and a first generation attorney. Licensed in Texas, Cesar Ornelas’s nationwide practice is entirely contingency fee based and consists of a wide variety of catastrophic personal injury and death cases. He has represented countless victims of catastrophic accidents across the United States. Mr. Ornelas has devoted his entire career to giving a voice to the voiceless.

Cesar Ornelas has made it his duty to ensure that the big corporations don’t take advantage of the ordinary individuals. His success in and out of the courtroom translates through his diligence, discipline,...

As a former felony chief prosecutor for the state of Texas, Tommy understands that just because someone is charged with a crime does not make them a bad person. It fact, being charged with a crime does not even make someone guilty of anything. It is the state’s responsibility and burden to prove guilt in a criminal case and there are many obstacles and areas of weakness that may be discovered and attacked by an aggressive criminal defense firm seeking to protect your rights. Tommy would like nothing more than the opportunity to use his exceptional...

John Wolf is a criminal defense attorney committed to providing skillful legal representation to individuals facing criminal charges. As a former Assistant District Attorney for Midland County, John understands how criminal cases are prosecuted and uses this expertise to provide his clients with superior representation.

Prior to attending law school, John spent over a decade in law enforcement. He was a federal law enforcement officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). He also spent several years as a local law enforcement officer.

Most importantly, as a former prosecutor...

Andrew T. van der Hoeven is a proven litigator with experience in over 80 jury trials. He has tried numerous Violent Crime, DWI, Possession, Drug, and Theft cases and brings those experiences to bear on every case he takes. Andrew was a prosecutor for over a decade with the Midland County District Attorney’s Office, serving as a Felony Team Chief for over half his time with the DA’s office. If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, there is a high probability Andrew has handled the same type of case AT...

Mike Streich is a trial lawyer dedicated to helping people who have been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence of others. His primary focus is oilfield and plant accidents, catastrophic workplace explosions, offshore and maritime accidents, and 18-wheeler crashes. Mike is from Kingwood, Texas and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While in Austin, he served as a member of the Silver Spurs—an honorary service organization responsible for the care and transportation of BEVO, the University of Texas longhorn steer. Immediately after college, Mike obtained his law degree from the University of Houston...

Justin is a trial lawyer who understands how to maximize recoveries for clients who were seriously injured in maritime and offshore accidents, oilfield accidents, trucking accidents, and catastrophic workplace accidents and explosions. Prior to joining Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers, Justin spent six years working as an attorney in the maritime group at one of Louisiana's oldest and most prominent defense firms, where he represented maritime employers, vessel owners, and insurers in complex maritime and personal injury cases under the Jones Act. Justin has significant experience handling limitation actions, platform fires/explosions, and vessel allisions/collisions. Justin is...

At ZZehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers, Matt is fulfilling his lifelong dream of helping individuals and families after serious and catastrophic injuries. He focuses on trucking accidents, Jones Act and maritime cases, oilfield accidents, and catastrophic workplace accidents and explosions. Matt received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English from Abilene Christian University. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School, where he made the Dean’s List, the Order of the Barristers, and earned the highest grade in Advanced Criminal Practice & Procedure. His Bankruptcy Moot Court Team won the 2012 Elliot Cup, and he was a semi-finalist...

Katy received her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&M University and her Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School. Katy has been nominated as a Rising Star in Family Law by Super Lawyers for years 2020, 2021, and 2022. This honor is bestowed to only 2.5% of lawyers each year. A fierce advocate for her clients both in and outside of the courtroom, Katy understands that every family is unique. With that in mind, Katy is committed to providing a customized case plan to address the specifics needs of every client. Practicing exclusively family law, Katy has extensive first-chair trial experience in...

Lamar is a trial lawyer who joined Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers in 2017 after working at one of Houston’s oldest personal injury law firms. Lamar focuses on representing clients from across Texas and the United States who were seriously injured or tragically killed in workplace and oil field accidents, truck and bus accidents, offshore accidents, and refinery and plant explosions. A native Texan, Lamar received his Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, Lamar worked as a Legislative Aide during the 82nd and 83rd State Legislative Sessions. After graduating from UT, Lamar...