Who Is Martin Phipps? San Antonio Attorney Arrest

Martin Phipps is a prominent 57-year-old San Antonio attorney and businessman who was arrested in August 2026 after police accused him of making a terroristic threat against a family member. The complainant was identified by the San Antonio Express-News as Phipps’ 16-year-old daughter. Police said the teenager reported that Phipps threatened her and caused her to fear for her life. Phipps was released after posting $10,000 bond and is prohibited from possessing firearms while the misdemeanor criminal case proceeds. Phipps has denied the allegation and said it arose from an ongoing custody dispute.

Martin Phipps Arrest

Phipps Was Arrested On August 29, 2026. San Antonio Police took Phipps into custody at approximately 8:45 p.m. Saturday on a charge of making a terroristic threat against a family member. [San Antonio Express-News] [San Antonio Current]

Phipps Was Released The Following Morning. Court records show he posted $10,000 bond and was released from custody on Sunday. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Cannot Possess Firearms While The Case Is Pending. The restriction was imposed as a condition of his bond. [San Antonio Express-News]

Terroristic Threat Charge

Phipps Is Charged With Making A Terroristic Threat Against A Family Member. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law. [San Antonio Express-News]

The Charge Carries A Potential Jail Sentence If He Is Convicted. A Class A misdemeanor in Texas can be punished by up to one year in county jail and a fine of as much as $4,000. [San Antonio Current]

Allegation Involving Phipps’ Daughter

The Complainant Was A 16-Year-Old Girl. A preliminary San Antonio Police Department report said police received a complaint from the teenager alleging that Phipps had threatened her. [San Antonio Express-News]

The San Antonio Express-News Identified The Teenager As Phipps’ Daughter. The newspaper reported that a source familiar with the case confirmed the family relationship. [San Antonio Express-News]

The Girl Said The Alleged Threat Made Her Fear For Her Life. Police records cited by the Express-News say she told investigators Phipps’ conduct placed her in fear for her safety. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Denies The Allegation

Phipps Has Denied Threatening His Daughter. He told the Express-News that the allegation was untrue. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Said The Complaint Is Connected To A Custody Dispute. He said the allegation originated with the girl’s mother amid continuing litigation concerning custody of his children. [San Antonio Express-News]

Earlier Concerns During Custody Dispute

Phipps’ Family Dispute Had Previously Drawn Public Attention In 2024. That year, Phipps filed an ethics complaint against San Antonio City Council Member Marc Whyte after Whyte became involved in concerns about the welfare of Phipps’ children. [San Antonio Express-News]

Messages Submitted During The Ethics Dispute Included A Child Saying They Were “Not Safe.” According to material Whyte submitted in response to the ethics complaint, one child allegedly wrote that Phipps had been grabbing and screaming at them. Those statements were allegations made in the context of the family dispute and were not criminal findings against Phipps. [San Antonio Express-News]

The San Antonio Ethics Review Board Ultimately Reprimanded Whyte. The board found that Whyte violated city ethics rules in how he used his office while responding to the family-safety concerns. [San Antonio Express-News]

Who Is Martin Phipps?

Phipps Is A Prominent San Antonio Trial Attorney. He has handled major civil litigation and became especially well known locally for representing Bexar County in litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Helped Represent Bexar County In Its Opioid Lawsuit. The county sued drug manufacturers and distributors in 2018 seeking recovery of public costs associated with opioid addiction. [San Antonio Express-News]

Bexar County Ultimately Received Approximately $14.5 Million Through The Opioid Litigation. The case significantly increased Phipps’ public profile in San Antonio legal and political circles. [San Antonio Current]

Phipps Is Also Associated With The Paramour Rooftop Bar. He developed the River Walk building that housed his law firm and the well-known cocktail bar. [San Antonio Express-News]

2021 Telephone Harassment Arrest

Phipps Was Previously Arrested In February 2021. San Antonio Police charged him with telephone harassment involving Brenda Vega, a former employee whom Phipps had briefly married. [KSAT] [San Antonio Express-News]

Police Accused Phipps Of Repeatedly Contacting Vega After She Asked Him To Stop. The arrest affidavit alleged he contacted her more than 40 times after she traveled to Mexico following a confrontation. [KSAT] [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Denied Wrongdoing In That Case. His attorney said at the time that the allegations were part of an effort to damage Phipps’ reputation. [San Antonio Express-News]

The 2021 Harassment Charge Was Dismissed In 2022. A special prosecutor dropped the case for insufficient evidence, meaning Phipps was not convicted of the harassment charge. [San Antonio Express-News]

Law Firm Controversy

Several Employees And A Law Partner Left Phipps’ Firm In 2021. Former partner T.J. Mayes and other employees accused Phipps of creating a hostile work environment and raised other allegations concerning his conduct. [San Antonio Express-News]

Mayes Filed Complaints With The State Bar And EEOC. He also alleged in a resignation letter that Phipps had engaged in misconduct involving creditors and had mistreated Vega. Phipps disputed allegations against him. [San Antonio Express-News]

River Walk Property Litigation

Phipps Has Also Been Involved In Major Litigation Over His River Walk Building. A dispute with businessman Daren Connel and CDC Enterprises concerned ownership, rent and financial obligations associated with the property housing Phipps’ law firm and Paramour. [San Antonio Express-News]

A 2025 Jury Verdict Resulted In More Than $1.2 Million In Judgments Against Phipps And Related Entities. The jury rejected claims asserted by Phipps’ side and found in favor of CDC in the business dispute. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Continued Challenging Parts Of The Litigation On Appeal. Texas appellate courts considered related disputes over judgments and security requirements during 2026. [Texas Court Of Appeals]

Case Status

Phipps’ New Criminal Case Remains Pending. As of September 1, 2026, he has been arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat against a family member but has not been convicted. [San Antonio Express-News]

His Arraignment Is Scheduled For October 6. Court records cited by the Express-News list that date for his next scheduled proceeding. [San Antonio Express-News]

Phipps Is Free On $10,000 Bond. His current release conditions include a prohibition on possessing firearms while the case is pending. [San Antonio Express-News]

The Terroristic-Threat Charge Is An Allegation. Phipps denies threatening his daughter, and the misdemeanor charge has not been proven in court.