About Joe
Joe’s practice is concentrated on the representation of creditors in complex commercial matters, both in bankruptcy court and state and federal trial courts. He has extensive experience in chapter 11 reorganizations and commercial loan restructuring. Joe’s primary clients include commercial banks; equipment lessors; retail shopping center owners; healthcare companies; insurance companies; general contractors and manufacturers. Representative cases include: Hackney v. First Alabama Bank, 555 So.2d 97 (Ala. 1989); Selma Medical Center v. Fontenot, 824 So.2d 1463 (Ala. 2001).
Joe received his J.D. in 1987 from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, where he was a member of the Cumberland Law Review (Associate Editor, 1985-1986, Writing Editor, 1986-1987). He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama, 1980. Joe is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, Business Section of the American Bar Association, the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar and the Birmingham Bar Association. He has lectured on such topics as Distressed Condominiums; Selected Topics in Bankruptcy Law; Commercial Loan Workouts; the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Joe is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights categories. In 2011 and 2012, Joe was named as a “Leader in their Field” in Bankruptcy & Restructuring by the highly regarded Chambers USA, a legal directory featuring client-led intelligence on America’s leading lawyers.
Joe also serves on the Board of Directors for Alabama Appleseed, Inc., a non-profit organization that seeks to insure equal access to justice.
What is your favorite thing about the law?
Working on complicated matters on a daily basis with knowledgeable clients and adversaries.
What was your first job?
Working in my family’s restaurant.
What are your hobbies?
Golf, travel, hunting, snow-skiing, whitewater paddling.
How do you define a “good day”?
At work, it’s helping my client achieve it’s objective sooner than it expected. At home it’s either taking a long walk with my wife and dog, or being on the golf course at sunset.
How do you spend your weekend?
Usually watching my kids’ sporting events, or playing golf.