Meet John Teakell
John R. Teakell has over 30 years experience in criminal law as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Those charged with serious crimes seek John Teakell out for legal counsel because of his deep criminal law subject matter experience and firsthand knowledge of state and criminal court procedures.
Teakell began his career as an Assistant District Attorney and worked as a Senior Trial Counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission where he prosecuted civil enforcement actions of fraudulent schemes in White Collar cases.
Before going into criminal defense Mr. Teakell spent over 12 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a federal prosecutor, most of which at the Northern District of Texas where he was designated as a bank fraud prosecutor. However, during this period Teakell also prosecuted all types of federal crimes in the Northern District of Texas including extraordinarily large drug trafficking and money laundering cases as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Puerto Rico, as well as federal death penalty cases.
Today Mr. Teakell represents defendants in criminal cases throughout State of Texas in federal and state courts, as well as cases in federal courts throughout the United States including Puerto Rico. As a criminal defense attorney and trial lawyer Mr. Teakell has successfully defended those charged with violent crimes, drug manufacturing and distribution, and white collar crimes including money laundering, bank fraud, securities fraud, and violations of federal securities law.
Media Appearances
Published Articles
Mr. Teakell has published articles in the Texas Lawyer and Executive Legal Advisor
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- National Association Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Association of Federal Defense Attorneys
- American Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Association of Former SEC Attorneys
Bar and Court Admissions
- Texas, 1990
- Oklahoma, 1985
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 2002
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 1990
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2000
- U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico, 1997
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma, 1985
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1985
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma, 1985
- U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, 1991
- U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit, 1998
Education
- Oklahoma State University, 1979 B.S.
- Oklahoma City University School of Law, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1985 J.D.
Teaching
- Instructor, Criminal Trial Advocacy Course, Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, Washington, D.C., 1991 – 1997
- Instructor, Fraud Courses, Legal Education Working Group – Department of Justice, 1997
- Seminar Speaker, “Aggressive Criminal Defense in Texas”, Houston, Texas, 2003
- Speaker, “Parallel Defenses in Criminal and Civil Cases”, Dallas Bar Association, Criminal Law Section Meeting, Dallas, Texas, 2004
Honors
- List Item #Judge – Southern Methodist University Law School Moot Court, Dallas,10-19961
Accolades / Selections
- Selected by National Association of Distinguished Counsel, representing the top one (1) percent of attorneys in the United States, 2015 – 2017
- One of the authors of the best-selling book “A Cup of Coffee With 10 of the Top Criminal Defense Attorneys in the United States” by Rutherford Publishing House, 2015
- Voted Texas SuperLawyer (represents top 5% of attorneys in respective area of practice) as White Collar Defense Attorney. 2005 – 2012, 2014 – 2017
- Selected as American Trial Lawyers’ Association Top 100 in Texas, 2007 – 2017
- Selected by National Academy of Jurisprudence as a Premier Attorney, representing the top 100 criminal defense attorneys in the State, 2015 & 2016
- Selected Best Attorneys of America 2015 – 2017
- Selected Lawyers of Distinction – Top 10% of Lawyers in USA 2016 – 2017
- Selected Global Directory of Who’s Who “Top Attorney” 2015 – 2017
- Selected into Peritum Attorneys 2017
- Selected National League of Renowned Attorneys “Top One Percent” 2016
- Selected National Academy of Jurisprudence as “Premier 100” 2016
- Selected National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys “Top Ten Attorney Award” 2016
- Selected American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys “ 10 Best Law Firm” Selection for Texas 2016 – 2017
- Selected American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys “Client Satisfaction Award” 2015 – 2016
- Selected Expert Network’s “Distinguished Lawyer” 2016 – 2017
- Highlighted in Forbes Magazine 2011 – 2016 as the White Collar Defense Attorney in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
- Highlighted in Time Magazine in 2013 as a Leader in Criminal Law
- Top Ten Visionaries of Tomorrow
Past Employment Positions
- Securities and Exchange Commission – Southeast Regional Office, Senior Trial Counsel, 2000 – 2002
- United States Attorney’s Office, District of Puerto Rico, Assistant United States Attorney, 1998 – 2000
- United States Attorney’s Office – Northern District of Texas, Assistant United States Attorney, 1990 – 1998
- United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Oklahoma, Assistant United States Attorney, 1988 – 1990
- Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, Oklahoma City, OK, Assistant District Attorney, 1984 – 1988
- Stack and Barnes, P.C., Attorneys at Law, Law Clerk, 1984
- First National Bank and Trust Company of Oklahoma City, Banking Officer/Trust Officer, 1979 – 1984
