Thomas W. Cavanagh, Jr.

THOMAS W. CAVANAGH, JR. is a retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge who brings insight and experience gained from settling disputes inside the courtroom to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice at McElroy Deutsch. Presently, Of Counsel in McElroy Deutsch's Tinton Falls, New Jersey office, Cavanagh brings particular experience in using ADR for complex civil, eminent domain, medical malpractice, general equity and probate cases to the firm.

He has been selected by the American Arbitration Association as an approved Neutral, is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Dispute Resolution Committee, and for the last three years has been appointed  Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Monmouth Bar Association. In addition to qualifying as a Court approved neutral under Rule 1:40 and an arbitrator for the Court supervised Monmouth County Arbitration Program, he is currently serving as the Vice-President of the New Jersey Retired Judges Association and the Co-Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Judicial Administration Committee. Cavanagh has been selected to be a member of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, as well as a member of the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, and a Panel Arbitrator for the New Jersey State Board of Mediation.

Prior to joining McElroy Deutsch, Cavanagh served as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge, with assignments to the Family Division in 1998 – 2002, the Civil Division from 2002 – 2007, and to the Chancery/General Equity/Probate Division from 2007-2013.  Additionally, he served as the Presiding Judge of the Civil Division (2005-2007) as well as the Presiding Judge of the Chancery/Probate Division (2007-2013) and also served as the Acting Assignment Judge during that same period.

Before his appointment to the New Jersey Superior Court, Cavanagh spent nearly 25 years in private practice with Chamlin, Rosen, Cavanagh & Uliano in West Long Branch, New Jersey, where he was named a partner in 1976, and later appointed the Managing Partner. At the firm, he  managed Public Labor matters as a Network Attorney for the New Jersey Education Association, Medical Malpractice, General Equity and Appellate matters, handling both jury and non-jury trials in the Superior Court, authoring numerous Appellate Division briefs, and drafting petitions for Certification before the New Jersey Supreme Court.  He handled numerous contested cases before the Office of Administrative Law and the Public Employment Relations Commission.

During his time in private practice, he served as a Borough Councilman for two years and later as a four (4) term Mayor from 1984-1997 in the Borough of Oceanport.

Cavanagh received his B.A. from Seton Hall University and his J.D. (Cum Laude) from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was a member of the Seton Hall Law Review and recipient of a Monmouth Bar Foundation Scholarship. During law school, he served an internship with Monmouth/Ocean Legal Services and the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General.   Upon graduation, he became the Judicial Law Secretary to the Honorable Francis X. Crahay, Monmouth County Assignment & Appellate Division Judge.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

REPORTED DECISIONS AS ATTORNEY

  • Clayton v. Freehold Twp. Bd. of Ed., 130 N.J. Super. 198 (App. Div. 1974), aff’d 67 New Jersey 240 (1975)
  • Matter of Lucas, 136 N.J. Super., 460 (App. Div. 1975)
  • Chera v. The Shores, 145 N.J. Super. 19 (App. Div. 1975)
  • Hoffman v. Jannarone, 401 f.Supp. 1095 (D.C.N.J. 1975), aff.d. 532 F. 2nd 746 (3rd Cir.Ct. App. 1976)
  • Bd. of Ed. of Asbury Park v. Asbury Park Ed. Assn., 145 N.J. Super. 495 (Ch. Div. 1976), aff’d in part, app. dism. in part, 155 N.J. Super. 76 (App. Div. 1977)
  • Seltzer v. Isaacson, 147 N.J. Super., 308 (App. Div. 1977)
  • Long Branch Ed. Assn. v. Bd. of Ed. Long Branch, 1 50 N.J. Super. 262 (App. Div. 1976), aff’d 73 New Jersey 461 (1977)
  • State v. Vinegra, 73 N.J. 484 (1977)
  • Welch v. Board of Ed. of City of Long Branch, 159 N.J. Super. 29 (App. Div. 1978)
  • Bd. of Ed. of Ocean Tp., v. Tp. of Ocean Teacher’s Assn., 165 N.J. Super. 5 (App. Div. 1985)
  • Rowley v. Bd. of Ed. of Manalapan-Englishtown, 205 N.J. Super., 65 (App. Div. 1985)
  • Kelly v. Gwinnell,  96 N.J.538 (1984)

JUDICIAL OPINIONS

  • Conlon v. Conlon, 335 N.J. Super. 38 (Ch. Div. 2000)
  • Larocco v. Gardella, 352 N.J. Super. 234 (Ch. Div. 2002)
  • Levchuck v. Jovich, 372 N.J. Super. 149 (Law Div. 2004)

 

THOMAS W. CAVANAGH, JR. is a retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge who brings insight and experience gained from settling disputes inside the courtroom to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice at McElroy Deutsch. Presently, Of Counsel in McElroy Deutsch's Tinton Falls, New Jersey office, Cavanagh brings particular experience in using ADR for complex civil, eminent domain, medical malpractice, general equity and probate cases to the firm.

He has been selected by the American Arbitration Association as an approved Neutral, is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Dispute Resolution Committee, and for the last three years has been appointed  Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Monmouth Bar Association. In addition to qualifying as a Court approved neutral under Rule 1:40 and an arbitrator for the Court supervised Monmouth County Arbitration Program, he is currently serving as the Vice-President of the New Jersey Retired Judges Association and the Co-Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Judicial Administration Committee. Cavanagh has been selected to be a member of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, as well as a member of the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, and a Panel Arbitrator for the New Jersey State Board of Mediation.

Prior to joining McElroy Deutsch, Cavanagh served as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge, with assignments to the Family Division in 1998 – 2002, the Civil Division from 2002 – 2007, and to the Chancery/General Equity/Probate Division from 2007-2013.  Additionally, he served as the Presiding Judge of the Civil Division (2005-2007) as well as the Presiding Judge of the Chancery/Probate Division (2007-2013) and also served as the Acting Assignment Judge during that same period.

Before his appointment to the New Jersey Superior Court, Cavanagh spent nearly 25 years in private practice with Chamlin, Rosen, Cavanagh & Uliano in West Long Branch, New Jersey, where he was named a partner in 1976, and later appointed the Managing Partner. At the firm, he  managed Public Labor matters as a Network Attorney for the New Jersey Education Association, Medical Malpractice, General Equity and Appellate matters, handling both jury and non-jury trials in the Superior Court, authoring numerous Appellate Division briefs, and drafting petitions for Certification before the New Jersey Supreme Court.  He handled numerous contested cases before the Office of Administrative Law and the Public Employment Relations Commission.

During his time in private practice, he served as a Borough Councilman for two years and later as a four (4) term Mayor from 1984-1997 in the Borough of Oceanport.

Cavanagh received his B.A. from Seton Hall University and his J.D. (Cum Laude) from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was a member of the Seton Hall Law Review and recipient of a Monmouth Bar Foundation Scholarship. During law school, he served an internship with Monmouth/Ocean Legal Services and the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General.   Upon graduation, he became the Judicial Law Secretary to the Honorable Francis X. Crahay, Monmouth County Assignment & Appellate Division Judge.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

REPORTED DECISIONS AS ATTORNEY

  • Clayton v. Freehold Twp. Bd. of Ed., 130 N.J. Super. 198 (App. Div. 1974), aff’d 67 New Jersey 240 (1975)
  • Matter of Lucas, 136 N.J. Super., 460 (App. Div. 1975)
  • Chera v. The Shores, 145 N.J. Super. 19 (App. Div. 1975)
  • Hoffman v. Jannarone, 401 f.Supp. 1095 (D.C.N.J. 1975), aff.d. 532 F. 2nd 746 (3rd Cir.Ct. App. 1976)
  • Bd. of Ed. of Asbury Park v. Asbury Park Ed. Assn., 145 N.J. Super. 495 (Ch. Div. 1976), aff’d in part, app. dism. in part, 155 N.J. Super. 76 (App. Div. 1977)
  • Seltzer v. Isaacson, 147 N.J. Super., 308 (App. Div. 1977)
  • Long Branch Ed. Assn. v. Bd. of Ed. Long Branch, 1 50 N.J. Super. 262 (App. Div. 1976), aff’d 73 New Jersey 461 (1977)
  • State v. Vinegra, 73 N.J. 484 (1977)
  • Welch v. Board of Ed. of City of Long Branch, 159 N.J. Super. 29 (App. Div. 1978)
  • Bd. of Ed. of Ocean Tp., v. Tp. of Ocean Teacher’s Assn., 165 N.J. Super. 5 (App. Div. 1985)
  • Rowley v. Bd. of Ed. of Manalapan-Englishtown, 205 N.J. Super., 65 (App. Div. 1985)
  • Kelly v. Gwinnell,  96 N.J.538 (1984)

JUDICIAL OPINIONS

  • Conlon v. Conlon, 335 N.J. Super. 38 (Ch. Div. 2000)
  • Larocco v. Gardella, 352 N.J. Super. 234 (Ch. Div. 2002)
  • Levchuck v. Jovich, 372 N.J. Super. 149 (Law Div. 2004)

 

Education

Seton Hall University (B.A. 1969)
Seton Hall Law School (J.D., cum laude 1972)

Admissions

State of New Jersey
U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States
State of New York

Memberships

Arbitrator Monmouth County Voluntary Binding Arbitration Program, Initial Chairman (1996-97)
Monmouth County General Equity Complementary Dispute Resolution Committee, Former Member
Monmouth Legal Aid Society, Former Trustee
Current Vice President of the Retired Judges Association of New Jersey
Arbitrator and Mediator, CPR: International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, Panel of Distinguished Neutrals—Insurance Policyholder, Real Estate Panels and New Jersey At Large Panel (Commercial)
New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals
National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals - New Jersey Chapter
Co-Chair of the Judicial Administration Committee, 2016-2017
American Arbitration Association, Roster of Neutrals