From our New Orleans office, Joseph focuses on several practice areas including commercial litigation; bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights; and litigation.

Joseph earned his law degree from Tulane University Law School in 2010, magna cum laude. Joseph’s name is on the marble at Tulane for winning the Appellate Moot Court Competition in 2010. While in law school, Joseph served as judicial extern to the Honorable Jerry A. Brown, bankruptcy judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Joseph was also published in the Tulane Environmental Law Journal on issues ranging from oil-and-gas law to environmental bankruptcy.

Joseph represents debtors, creditors, liquidating trusts, and creditors’ committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, and has successfully formulated innovative solutions and strategies in complex commercial bankruptcy cases.

Joseph has successfully represented businesses in a variety of commercial litigation matters concerning breach of contract, corporate governance disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, intellectual property, and banking law.

Affiliations

• Louisiana State Bar Association
• New Orleans Bar Association
• Tulane American Inn of Court, President
• Turnaround Management Association, Board Member
• Louisiana Banker’s Association
• Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
• Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
• Judge Jerry A. Brown Louisiana Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Houma Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce

Presentations

• “Ethics in Courtroom Advocacy” for the Tulane Law School American Inn of Court, with Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, and Judge Michael B. North, November 2016
• “Litigation in Bankruptcy Courts” for the New Orleans Bar Association, with Hon. Meredith Grabill, December 2016
• "Corporate Control Issues in Complex Commercial Bankruptcy" with Christopher T. Caplinger and Nathan Horner, 2013
• "Involuntary Bankruptcy, and Other Ways to Collect Money Owed Your Client" with Stewart F. Peck, 2012

Commercial Litigation Experience

• Represented equipment lessor in a contract dispute regarding flood control construction project, and obtained substantial recovery and dismissal of all counterclaims after bench trial.
• Conmaco/Rector L.P. v. L & A Contracting Co., No. CIV.A. 12-2337, 2014 WL 1796651 (E.D. La. May 6, 2014)
• Represented barge company in action against state tax authority, which settled favorably after victories in trial court, the court of appeals, and the Louisiana Supreme Court. Bridges v. Lebeouf Bros. Towing, 2012-2703 (La. 2/8/13), 108 So. 3d 90
• Obtained temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against former employees of oil and gas service company for taking confidential documents for use in competitor's business.
• Represented plaintiffs in vessel seizure actions in the Eastern and Western District of Louisiana.

Bankruptcy & Reorganization Matters

• Represented interests of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas as Special Respondent in a bankruptcy appeal before the U.S. Fifth Circuit. 
• Lead counsel for marine finance creditor in bankruptcy proceedings of international maritime company in the Southern District of New York. 
• Lead counsel for Debtor transportation company in bankruptcy proceedings in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Restructured the debtor’s problem debts through injunction proceedings and a cash collateral order, and thereafter obtained consensual dismissal of the case within two months of filing bankruptcy.
• Debtors’ Counsel for Gulf Fleet Holdings, Inc., along with several related entities in Chapter 11 cases with over $100,000,000 in assets and approximately $65,000,000 in claims.
• Lead counsel for Plan Trust of New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. in Chapter 11 proceeding which obtained substantial recovery for unsecured creditors.
• Counsel for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case of Virgin Oil Company, Inc.
• Special Counsel for the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Cases of the Trico Marine Group.
• Lead counsel in joint individual Chapter 11 case, formulating and obtaining confirmation of a plan that resulted in discharge of substantial debts for small-business owner clients.
• Represented insurer client whose insured filed bankruptcy and formulated strategy utilizing federal interpleader procedure to limit liability and litigation costs.