THIESSEN LAW FIRM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer & Houston DWI Attorney
- Media Appearances
Andrew Gendi was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but was raised in the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. He attended Clear Brook High School where he played football and track and received an Outstanding Student Award before graduating in 2013. He went on to attend Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on a football scholarship. At OBU, Andrew earned the starting defensive tackle spot as a true freshman, accumulating 88 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks in his 4 years. He started in over 40 games, helping his team to 4 consecutive winning seasons, a conference championship, and a run at the NCAA Division 2 National Playoffs. With as involved as Andrew was on the football field at OBU, he was just as involved off of it. He majored in Political Science, minored in English Literature, and was vice president of OBU's Pre-Law Society and Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. He graduated from OBU with honors in 2017.
After college, Andrew attended Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock, Texas, where he realized his passion for criminal defense work. While in law school, he participated as a student attorney in Texas Tech's Criminal Defense Clinic, being appointed to represent real individuals facing felony and misdemeanor charges, under the supervision of two experienced and respected law professors. As a student attorney in the Criminal Defense Clinic, Andrew obtained a 68% dismissal rate on his clients' cases and received clinic distinction awards in both of his semesters in the program. As a law student, he clerked for the law offices of Laurie Key and Rusty Gunter in Lubbock, helping in the defense of a wide range of criminal cases. He also interned for the Regional Public Defenders Office for Capital Cases in Angleton, Texas, where he aided attorneys and investigators in the defense of individuals being charged with capital murder. Additionally, Andrew also served as the vice president of Tech Law's Criminal Law Association. He graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in May of 2021 and passed the bar shortly after.
Andrew is excited to bring his passion for criminal defense to Thiessen Law Firm. He prides himself on communication, giving his cell phone number to all his clients for their convenience. He has a desire to help and will represent his clients aggressively, with care and diligence as he navigates them through the criminal process.
We are well-known for both award winning DWI Lawyers and aggressive trial-tested criminal defense techniques. We will fight like no other for your case.
As police chief urges ‘meaningful reform,' critics wonder why it's missing in Houston
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Houston DWI Lawyer, Criminal Defense & Civil Trial Attorney
Job Titles:
- Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer & Houston DWI Attorney
Kacie Penman was born and raised in Cypress, Texas, where she was a competitive cheerleader and dancer. For undergrad, she attended Oklahoma State University where she studied strategic communications and international business. She graduated with honors and was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
Kacie then returned to Houston to begin her law school education at South Texas College of Law Houston (STCLH), where she also graduated with honors. During college and law school Kacie took her education abroad by studying in London, England, Prague, Czech Republic and Malta. She enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures and people, which allows her to adapt to a wide variety of situations.
During law school, Kacie clerked for the Law Offices of Hinton and Bailey, helping with white collar criminal defense cases and after graduating from law school she was an Assistant District Attorney for Galveston County. During her time in Galveston, Kacie worked on various criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, including DWI's and assaults up to aggravated sexual assault and murder. She also gained extensive experience in Juvenile law.
Kacie is excited to now begin working with the Thiessen Law Firm to apply her experience in prosecution to defend the rights of those accused. She will walk you through every step of the criminal process and offer zealous and honest representation to all.
Job Titles:
- Houston DWI Lawyer, Criminal Defense & Civil Trial Attorney
- Houston DWI Lawyer, Talks With Chris Morrell on the Morrell Firm Show about How He Got into DWI Law
Mark Thiessen prides himself on being an aggressive trial lawyer. If the district attorney will not bargain or justice will not be served by allowing the client to plead guilty, Mark passionately and professionally represents his clients at trial. He has won DWI cases from total refusals up to quadruple intoxication manslaughter. Mark has earned formidable reputation for being a tenacious Houston DWI trial lawyer, and he works hard to maintain that status. Mark is licensed and tries cases in Texas and Colorado.
Since opening Thiessen Law Firm, Mark has continued to add to his growing list of accomplishments. In addition to his widely publicized feats as a winning Houston intoxication manslaughter lawyer, Mark Thiessen was the youngest criminal Super Lawyer in Texas in 2013. As of 2022, Mark is a 10 time Texas Super Lawyer, 6 time Top 100 Super Lawyers in Houston and 3 time Top 100 Super Lawyers in all of Texas. For the past two years, Mark has been the only DWI lawyer listed in the Top 100 in Houston and the only criminal Super Lawyer listed in the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas.
Mark is the only lawyer in America who is 4x board certified in:
Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
DUI Defense by the National College for DUI Defense as approved through the American Bar Association
DUI Law by the DUI Defense Lawyers Association
Board Certified Advocate Criminal Trial Law by the NBTA Foundation
Mark has also earned the American Chemical Society-Chemistry and the Law's (ACS-CHAL) Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation - the highest form of scientific recognition available for lawyers.
In addition to DWI, he has also expanded his firm's leadership into additional practice areas, including:
Mark Thiessen is the only DWI attorney to rank in both the top 100 in Texas and the top 100 in Houston
Job Titles:
- Houston Family Lawyer, Criminal Defense & Civil Trial Attorney
Taly Thiessen is a battle-proven Houston family law and Houston criminal defense attorney at Thiessen Law Firm. In addition to being licensed in Texas, she is also licensed in Kansas and Colorado. She was born and raised on a ranch in Plains, Kansas. She attended West Texas A&M University, where she played basketball and soccer and graduated cum laude in 2007 with a B.S. in Mass Communications/Broadcasting. Next, she attended law school at Texas Tech University School of Law.
During law school, Taly clerked for the Law Office of Mark Snodgrass, helping with criminal defense, family law, and litigation. She also had an internship with the Innocence Project of Texas, supporting their initiative in overturning wrongful convictions and securing freedom for men and women wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
After graduating from law school, Taly continued her employment with Mark Snodgrass, as an associate in his firm, for the next 5 years. Since that time, she has expanded her practice to include juvenile law and family law cases such as divorce, child custody cases, and child support issues.
While in Lubbock, Taly was the President of the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association and served on the board of the Lubbock Bar Association. Taly is regularly and actively involved in several civic and charitable organizations, including The Junior League of Lubbock, Paul's Project, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Food2Kids.
In late 2016, Taly made the move to Houston, Texas, to begin work with the Thiessen Law Firm. She is excited to bring her criminal knowledge to the firm as well as expand their family law client base. She understands that in Houston child custody and divorce cases, every family is unique. Whether you need an aggressive advocate or compassionate attorney, she will take the time to listen and understand your specific needs. Her goal is to give each client an honest appraisal of their situation so they can make informed decisions.
Taly is licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and Colorado.