Experience and Practice Areas
As the first U.S. Trustee in the state of Texas and as a founding member of Cavazos, Hendricks, Poirot & Smitham, P.C., Mr. Cavazos has over thirty years of experience in matters of Bankruptcy, Workouts, and Debtor-Creditor Relations. Prior to founding the firm, Mr. Cavazos was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Education
J.D., Baylor University School of Law, 1972
B.A., Baylor University, 1971
Bar Admissions
State Bar of Texas, 1973
Admitted to Practice
U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
United States Supreme Court
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Experience
1984 to Present: Founder of Cavazos, Hendricks, Poirot & Smitham, P.C. (formerly known as Dawson, Sodd, Cavazos & Hendricks, P.C.).1975 to 1978: Attorney-Advisor for the Small Business Administration; 1978 to 1979: Assistant U.S. Attorney N.D. of Texas; 1979 to 1981: First U.S. Trustee in Texas; 1981 to 1982: Executive Vice President of Electronic Processing, Inc. (EPI); 1982 to 1984: Partner with Truman & Cavazos, P.C., Fort Worth, Texas; Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating since 1984.
Selected Litigation Experience
Co-trial attorney for the United States in following reported cases: U.S. v. Billie Sol Estes 646 F.2d 181 (5th Cir. 1979); Royal National Bank of Palestine v. U.S., 566 F.2d 1151 (U.S. Court of Claims, 1977); U.S. v. Goodman 605 F2d 870 (5th Cir. 1979). Appellate attorney for the United States in the following reported cases: U.S. v. Teal, 582 F.2d 343 (5th Cir. 1978); U.S. v. Gray, 584 F.2d 96 (5th Cir. 1978); U.S. v. Wade, 585 F.2d 573 (5th Cir. 1978); Smith v. Bell, 588 F.2d 169 (5th Cir. 1979); U.S. v. Underwood, 588 F.2d 1073 (5th Cir. 1979); Addison v. U.S., 589 F.2d 252 (5th Cir. 1979); Wade v. Bell, Attorney General of the U.S., 591 F.2d 351 (5th Cir. 1979); Wilkerson v. U.S., 591 F.2d 1046 (5th Cir. 1979); U.S. v. Benson, 592 F.2d 257 (5th Cir. 1979); U.S. v. Willis, 599 F.2d 684 (5th Cir. 1979); U.S. v. Millican, 600 F.2d 273 (5th Cir. 1979); Makris v. U.S., 606 F.2d 575 (5th Cir. 1979); Mixon v. U.S., 608 F.2d 588 (5th Cir. 1979); Mixon v. U.S., 616 F.2d 253 (5th Cir. 1980); Mixon v. U.S. 620 F.2d 486 (5th Cir. 1980); U.S. v. Bell 648 F.2d 212 (5th Cir. 1981).
Selected Bankruptcy Related Liquidations Experience
1985 to 1988 liquidating partner of Murchison Brothers; 1996 to 1999 liquidating chapter 11 plan trustee of Consolidated Fuel Corporation; 1995 to 2001 attorney for Bankruptcy Code Section 304 Cayman Island foreign representative of Mid-American Insurance Company
Education
1967 to 1972. Baylor University and Baylor School of Law, Waco, Texas: Awarded Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor; member of the Baylor University basketball team; member of Alpha Phi Omega Social Club (now known as SAE). Law Review candidate; Elected to Law Student Board of Governors.
Professional Affiliations
1980 to 1981 member of Bankruptcy Court local rules committee. 1982 to 1988 member U.S trustee’s chapter 7 panel trustees. 1982 to 1999 member Texas Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission. 1984 to 1988 drafter and grader of Texas Bankruptcy Specialization exams. 1990 to 1991 member Bankruptcy Mediation Committee Dallas Bankruptcy Court. 2000 to 2001 master in John Calvin Ford Inn of Court.
Authorship and Speeches
Speeches: Dallas Bar Association Friday Luncheon speaker (1978, 1979 & 1980); Commercial Law League, Mid-West Region 50th Annual Meeting Educational Program panelist (1980); Lubbock Bar Association Friday Luncheon speaker (1980); Chapter 13 Workshop panelist presented in Lubbock, in Amarillo, and in San Angelo seminars (1980); Texas Credit Union Association Bankruptcy Workshop panelist (1981); State Bar of Kansas Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Seminar speaker (1981 & 1982); State Bar of Texas Practice Skills Course Bankruptcy panelist (1981, 1982 & 1983); Cincinnati Bar Association Bankruptcy Workshop speaker (1982); State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Institute speaker (1983); Dallas Bar Association Corporate Counsel Luncheon speaker (1984); National Business Institute speaker on the Bankruptcy Act of 1984 (1984); Panelist at “Texas Drafting and Confirming Reorganization Plans”, a PESI seminar (1988); Speaker presenting the paper “Sampling the Boundaries of Debtors’ Use of Chapter 13” at the Kansas Bar Bankruptcy Seminar (1988); Speaker at Dallas Bar CLE Seminar presenting the paper “Post-judgment Collection in Texas” (1989); Speaker presenting the outline “Bankruptcy for Landlords” at Retail Property Specialists Clinic (1993); Speaker at Dallas Factors Association Dinner on “What to Do When Your Client Files Bankruptcy.” (1994); Speaker presenting the paper “How a Factor can be Successful in Bankruptcy Court” to International Factoring Association Sixth Annual Conference in Austin (2000); Speaker on “Fundamentals of Discharge” at Dallas Stromar Seminar entitled “Fundamentals of Consumer and Business Bankruptcy” (2000). (Most presentations were accompanied by a paper or outline.)
Publications:
1982 authored Chapter 10 “The United States Trustee” for the Kansas Bar Bankruptcy Manual. 1991 co-authored “Texas Personal Property Secured Transaction Handbook” with Bankruptcy Judge Leif Clark of San Antonio and Bankruptcy Judge John Pearson of Wichita, Kansas. “Fifth Circuit Review,” Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor, March 2005, No. 3 - co-authored with James C. Jarrett.; “Fifth Circuit Review,” Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor, March 2006, No. 3 - co-authored with James C. Jarrett. "Fifth Circuit Review," Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor, March 2007, No. 3 - co-authored with James C. Jarrett. "Fifth Circuit Review," Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor, March 2008, No. 3 - co-authored with James C. Jarrett. "Fifth Circuit Review," Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor, March 2009, No. 3 - co-authored with James C. Jarrett.
Awards and Distinctions
Letter of Commendation from director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Billie Sol Estes trial (1979); Special Achievement award presented by the Attorney General of the United States for work as initial U.S. Trustee for the N. D. of Texas, (1980); Letter of appreciation from Richard L. Levine, Director of U.S. Trustees (1981).
