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Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey: Five Board-Certified Criminal Attorneys Under One Roof Since 1963
The historic red brick building that houses this firm has become almost as well known in Austin’s legal community as the firm itself. This Austin criminal defense attorney firm has operated continuously since 1963, and today counts five individually Texas Board of Legal Specialization-certified criminal law attorneys among its ranks — an unusually high concentration of that specific state credential at a single firm.
At a Glance: Austin Criminal Defense Attorney Firm Overview
| Firm | Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey, P.C. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1963 |
| Office | 1100 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701 |
| Board Certification | Five attorneys Board Certified in Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, including Samuel E. Bassett (certified 1994) |
| Practice Areas | Criminal defense (including DWI and felony DWI), family law, civil litigation |
| Fee Structure | Not published in detail; consultation available |
Origin & Background
Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey opened its doors in Austin in 1963 and has operated continuously for over six decades — a rare longevity for a boutique criminal defense practice. Partner Samuel E. Bassett earned his law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas and has been Board Certified in Criminal Law since 1994, over 30 years of continuous certification. The firm today counts ten attorneys and staff, with five of the attorneys individually board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — David F. Minton, Perry Q. Minton, Rick R. Flores, John C. Carsey, and Sam Bassett among the firm’s named partners.
Practice Concentration
The firm handles the full range of Texas criminal defense matters, including DWI and felony DWI, alongside family law and civil litigation practice lines. The firm’s published case results include a felony DWI (third or subsequent offense involving a collision) reduced to misdemeanor probation, and a not-guilty verdict at trial in a Travis County intoxication manslaughter and leaving-the-scene case — the kind of specific, dated, outcome-and-charge case entries that are independently checkable rather than generic success claims.
Notable Work
| Matter | Result (as reported) | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Felony DWI, 3rd or subsequent offense involving a collision | Reduced to misdemeanor probation | August 2021 |
| Intoxication Manslaughter (Travis County) | Not guilty; also not guilty on a related Leaving the Scene of an Accident charge | September 2013 (following trial) |
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case turns on its own specific facts.
Client Voice
Reviewers specifically describe individual named attorneys rather than generic firm praise: one client wrote that after screening several Austin criminal defense lawyers, “I found Rick Flores… His expertise and seemingly endless, at-hand resources was impressive and entirely relieving,” describing the experience as “constant, well communicated, and stress free.” Another wrote simply that “Mr. Bassett is the lawyer that you need when everything is on the line.” A third client described the overall firm experience as one where “they handled my case with care and made sure I understood each step.” No negative reviews of substance were located during this research.
Beyond the Courtroom
Sam Bassett has been named Best Lawyers in America’s “Lawyer of the Year” for criminal defense in Austin four separate times — 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 — a recurring, year-over-year peer recognition rather than a single-cycle award.
Recognition
Five attorneys at this firm are individually Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — the only “specialist” designation used in this profile, because it is independently state-administered rather than firm-conferred, and this firm’s concentration of that specific credential is notably high relative to other firms profiled in this directory. Sam Bassett holds Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV rating and has been repeatedly named to Best Lawyers in America and Texas Monthly Super Lawyers. The firm itself is ranked by Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms in three practice areas.
Texas Legal Backdrop
Texas DWI is governed by Texas Penal Code Chapter 49; a first offense is generally a Class B misdemeanor, escalating to a Class A misdemeanor with a prior conviction, an open container, or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or above, and to a felony with a third conviction, an accident causing serious injury or death, or a child under 15 in the vehicle — the exact fact pattern reflected in this firm’s own published felony DWI case result. Intoxication manslaughter is charged under Texas Penal Code § 49.08 as a second-degree felony. This is general background information, not legal advice, and does not account for the specific facts of any case.
Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Five individually board-certified criminal law attorneys at one firm, sustained over six decades of continuous operation, represents one of the deepest concentrations of that specific state credential in this directory’s Austin coverage. Sam Bassett’s four separate “Lawyer of the Year” designations from Best Lawyers — spread across a six-year span rather than clustered in one cycle — reinforce that this is sustained peer recognition, not a one-time honor.
The honest trade-off: a firm this established, with this many senior, individually-credentialed partners, is likely to command premium fees relative to solo or smaller boutique practices in this directory, and the published case results shown here are illustrative examples rather than a comprehensive results table — prospective clients should ask directly about which specific attorney would handle their case, since a ten-person firm doesn’t guarantee that a client is matched with one of the five board-certified partners specifically rather than an associate.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was compiled from the firm’s own website (mbfc.com), including its attorney biography and case-results pages, Best Lawyers’ firm and attorney profiles, the National Trial Lawyers’ member profile for Sam Bassett, Yelp’s business listing, and ReviewYourAttorney’s firm directory listing.
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
Awesome Attorneys is an independently researched legal directory. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey, P.C. prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to firms profiled on this site, but sponsorship status has no bearing on editorial content, and inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement of any firm for any particular legal matter. Nothing in this profile constitutes legal advice or a lawyer referral; readers with a legal question should consult a licensed Texas attorney directly.