Need a lawyer for something like this?
Tell us what happened and we’ll connect you with a law firm that handles cases like yours, fast. Free, no obligation.
Tell us what happened →Our chat is not a message to the firm profiled here. Awesome Attorneys is independent and not a law firm; we pass your details on only with your permission.
Attorney Advertising. This is an independently researched editorial profile. Awesome Attorneys is not a lawyer referral service, does not accept payment for inclusion in this profile, and does not guarantee any legal outcome. See our Publisher Disclosure below.
Paul Saputo built a boutique criminal defense firm with law partner Nick Toufexis that does one kind of work — representing individuals against the government in DWI and criminal cases, one client at a time. This profile is part of Awesome Attorneys’ coverage of Dallas DWI attorney options.
At a Glance
| Firm | Saputo Toufexis | Criminal Defense, PLLC |
|---|---|
| Partners | Paul Saputo; Nicholas Toufexis |
| Office | 1845 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Suite 1500, Dallas, TX 75201 |
| Phone | (888) 239-9305 |
| Education | J.D., Duke University School of Law, 2012 (top-10 ranked law school) |
| Bar Admission | State Bar of Texas, 2012 |
| Recognition | AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell (2026); Best Lawyers (2026); Super Lawyers Rising Star; Avvo 10.0; D Magazine Best Lawyer (2024); Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” (2025, Toufexis) |
| Core Practice Areas Reviewed Here | Criminal Defense; DWI/DUI Defense |
Origin & Background
Paul Saputo earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2012 and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas the same year. He worked in criminal defense with several established Texas defense attorneys before founding his own practice. He is admitted before the Texas Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and multiple U.S. District Courts.
Dallas DWI Attorney Practice Concentration
The firm concentrates on criminal defense (drug crimes, sex crimes, major felonies, federal criminal defense, white-collar defense, assault, expunctions, probation matters, and criminal appeals) and DWI/DUI defense, with a self-published legal resource guide analyzing Texas Penal Code provisions, including a detailed breakdown of the DWI statute (§ 49.04). The firm explicitly markets itself as never having worked for the government — Saputo describes the practice as built entirely on the defense side, distinct from firms that emphasize former-prosecutor experience as their primary credential.
Track Record
Saputo has represented clients in high-profile matters, including securing a client’s release within hours in a Dallas police shooting case and a dismissal of all charges in the Twin Peaks Waco biker case (a widely covered 2015 multi-defendant case). The firm’s marketing references “hundreds of dismissals and acquittals” without a published, dated case-results table. Awesome Attorneys could not independently verify case-level outcomes and presents these as the firm’s own claims.
Client Voice
The firm holds a Martindale-Hubbell Silver Client Champion Award (based on client review volume and satisfaction ratings) and a perfect 10.0 rating on both Avvo and Justia. A representative Google review:
“Had a DWI case, called the office and was setup with Nick Toufexis… I felt from the start that Nick had my best interests at heart. I loved the option of payment plans… At the end of it all Nick got my case dismissed and I’ll forever be grateful for the work he put in!” — client review, Saputo Toufexis Google profile
Awesome Attorneys did not find substantive negative reviews of the firm during this research; the review record across Avvo, Justia, and Google is consistently positive, though as with any firm, prospective clients should read the fuller review set directly given the volume involved.
Beyond the Courtroom
Saputo is a member of the Texas Bar College (requiring ongoing continuing-education commitment beyond standard bar requirements), and regularly presents continuing legal education seminars to other lawyers, judges, and academics. He is a past director and secretary of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and belongs to the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is also a frequent media contributor on criminal law topics.
Recognition
The firm’s strongest third-party credentials are Saputo’s AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell (2026; peer-reviewed legal ability and ethics), Best Lawyers (2026), and his D Magazine Best Lawyer selection (2024), alongside a Super Lawyers Rising Star designation and an Avvo 10.0 rating. Toufexis was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (2025) for White-Collar Criminal Defense. This profile does not use the term “specialist” to describe either attorney.
Texas Legal Backdrop
A first DWI in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code § 49.04 (up to 180 days in jail, a fine up to $2,000). Four scenarios elevate a DWI to a felony: a third or subsequent conviction; causing non-fatal injury (Intoxication Assault, a third-degree felony); causing death (Intoxication Manslaughter, a second-degree felony); or having a child under 15 in the vehicle (a state jail felony). A driver has 15 days from arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing under Texas Transportation Code Chapters 524 and 724 to contest an automatic license suspension — a hearing the firm notes also functions as a discovery opportunity, since it allows cross-examination of the arresting officer under oath well before any criminal trial.
Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Saputo Toufexis offers an unusual credential combination for a Dallas DWI-focused boutique: a Duke Law pedigree and a defense practice built without ever having worked as a prosecutor — a genuinely different professional path than the “former prosecutor” credential many competing firms lead with. The firm’s peer-review and client-satisfaction ratings (AV Preeminent, 10.0 on Avvo and Justia, D Magazine recognition) are consistently strong across multiple independent platforms.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was compiled from the firm’s own website (saputo.law, including its About, Paul Saputo bio, and Dallas DWI Attorney pages), Paul Saputo’s Martindale-Hubbell, Avvo, Best Lawyers, and Lawyers.com profiles, and the Cornell Legal Information Institute’s Texas attorney directory listing. Statutory citations were checked against the Texas Penal Code and Texas Transportation Code. No case results, credentials, or quotes were invented; the Dallas police shooting and Twin Peaks Waco case references are as described in the firm’s own published materials and are identified as the firm’s claims.
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Saputo Toufexis | Criminal Defense, PLLC prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placements clearly labeled as such, but no payment of any kind determines inclusion in, or the content of, this editorial profile. This article is for informational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Saputo Toufexis or Awesome Attorneys.
Related legal guides
- ALR Hearing Lawyer San Antonio: Fighting a License Suspension
- Field Sobriety Test Lawyer San Antonio: What They Actually Prove
- DWI Checkpoint San Antonio: Are They Even Legal in Texas?
- DWI Blood Test Refusal San Antonio: Implied Consent Consequences
- Ignition Interlock San Antonio: When Texas Requires the Device After a DWI
- DWI Child Passenger San Antonio: Texas’s State Jail Felony Explained