Our Team

Joseph Z. Cavanah

Joseph Z. Cavanah is a litigation partner at Greer Herz & Adams LLP with more than a decade of experience representing individuals, fiduciaries, and businesses in complex legal disputes. He has appeared in state and federal courts across the country. Joe is known for his strong courtroom presence, ability to communicate clearly with clients, and strategic approach to dispute resolution.

He centers his practice on contested matters, where Joe represents executors, trustees, and beneficiaries. He also maintains an estate planning practice, helping families and business owners structure plans that reduce conflict, protect assets, and align their planning goals with their business goals. Joe’s work routinely intersects with banking, insurance, and corporate matters. He also continues to represent clients in maritime litigation, including matters that involve maritime bankruptcy and wrongful death.

Joe also served in the United States Navy and, while enlisted, sustained injury in Navy SEAL training. He thereafter assumed supervision of the ship’s armory aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Joe carried that experience to the University of Colorado and Tulane University Law School before joining Greer, Herz, & Adams, LLP in 2013.

BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
  • Texas
  • Colorado
  • United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas
EDUCATION
  • Tulane University Law School, Class of 2013 – J.D. & Maritime Certificate Program
    • Senior Articles Editor (Tulane Maritime Law Journal)
    • Senior Writing Fellow (Tulane LLM International Writing Program)
    • Legal Writing Instructor (Tulane University Freeman School of Business)
  • University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO – B.A., History & Anthropology, May 2010 (magna cum laude)
PUBLICATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS
  • “Dangerous Goods in the Age of Containerization: WARNING! This Comment May (or may not) Self-Destruct.” 37 Mar. L.J. 2012
  • Represented nationally-chartered bank in two-week jury trial and on a successful appeal involving the characterization of a $50 million estate.
  • Defended against a German shipowner’s General Maritime & U.C.C. claims involving an incident in the Straits of Gibraltar before a federal court in Louisiana.
  • Advised a publicly-traded company through a multi-year, multi-state audit, successfully challenging the auditor’s rulemaking authority before the state courts of California, including a successful appeal.
  • Repelled a bad faith attempt to forum shop in a federal court in Oklahoma by obtaining a dismissal and transfer to the United States Southern District of Texas.
  • Managed resolution of maritime matters in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
  • Proudly represented and counseled hundreds of families and individuals regarding the administration of estates and trusts.
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC AFFILIATIONS
  • Maritime Law Association (MLA) of the United States
  • Marine Insurance and General Average Committee, Member (Since 2014)
  • Cruise Lines and Passenger Ships Committee, Member (Since 2014)
  • Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Member (Since 2014)
  • Maritime Liens and Mortgages Subcommittee, Member (Since 2014)
  • State Bar of Texas
  • American Bar Association
  • Galveston County Bar Association – Outstanding Young Lawyer (2017)

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