Mark Thiessen was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Mr. Thiessen attended the Village School and St. Francis Episcopal Middle School before graduating from the Kinkaid School in 1996. While at the Kinkaid School, Mr. Thiessen won state in advanced acting and was captain of the tennis team. Mr. Thiessen then attended and graduated from Texas Christian University in 2000 with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing. While at TCU, Mr. Thiessen was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and on the dean’s list.
He then came back home to Houston and continued his education at South Texas College of Law (STCL) in Houston. While attending STCL, Mr. Thiessen was active in mock trial, various law societies and intramural football. He also studied International Criminal Law at the University of Malta during the Summer of 2001. Additionally, Mr. Thiessen studied abroad at the BPP Law School in London, England and at the University of Hawaii. Studying in these unique legal environments required Mr. Thiessen to adapt to various social, cultural, ethnic and economic groups, which is evident in his personality today.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Thiessen practiced civil law for three years in cases ranging from admiralty and maritime issues at Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau to toxic tort and personal injury claims at Brown Sims, P.C. He still maintains many close connections in the civil world. In January 2006, though, he followed his true calling to the criminal court room and became a skilled trial lawyer.
Trichter & Murphy, P.C., hired Mr. Thiessen as an associate in January 2006, where he worked for over five years. There, he studied under one of the foremost legal authorities in Texas.
Although his practice includes all areas of criminal defense, Mr. Thiessen maintains an emphasis on DWI and drugs or controlled substances. The trial of a DWI case dictates that on any given date, a trial lawyer must be not only well-versed in Rules of Evidence, case law pertaining to DWIs and constitutional law, but also numerous areas of science such as anatomy, physiology, toxicology, chemistry, computer science, biology and physics. A DWI case is the most difficult legal case to try because of the quality of adverse political sentiments against alleged drunk drivers such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), much of the offense being videotaped and field sobriety tests that have become scientifically standardized. Also, many DWIs become more difficult when they are coupled with accidents that require accident reconstruction knowledge; injuries that occurred in accidents that require a working knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medicine; and chemical testing that requires breath, blood and urine. Clearly, for the skilled DWI trial lawyer, the defense of a citizen accused of DWI is intensely complex and requires a great deal of legal and scientific preparation. DWI defendants are unique in the criminal justice system and no greater opportunity exists for an innocent person to be convicted than with a DWI charge.
Mr. Thiessen prides himself in 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, Mr. Thiessen will aggressively, passionately and professionally represent you in trial. He has a strong reputation as a trial lawyer and works hard to maintain that status. Mr. Thiessen is also the youngest criminal Super Lawyer in Texas for 2013.
Fearlessness in the courtroom is a byproduct of Mr. Thiessen’s normal routine. Outside the courtroom, he is an avid competitor in Brazilian jiu jitsu and muay thai. He is a member of BRAZIL-021 School of Jiu Jitsu and has won medals at the Atama Open, Abu Dabai Combat Club, Fight to Win, IBJJF Houston International Open and the Grappler’s Quest Tournament. He is also a member of Team Hoger Muay Thai and is a 2010 Warrior Dash finisher. Mr. Thiessen is also 2012 Color Run finisher and two time 2013 Tough Mudder finisher.
