Joseph M. Guerra III

Of Counsel

As a law student and young lawyer, my goal was to focus on criminal law, be it as a prosecutor or defense attorney. Early in my career, the Spring 1982, I was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. Looking back just shy of 40 years later as I retired from federal service in December 2021, I realized that I never could have imagined the scope of the opportunity that I had been given. As a young Assistant U.S. Attorney, I could not foresee the wide range of challenging criminal and civil cases, the responsibility for supervision, and the national and international travel that my future would hold. As I advanced on my path through the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I handled and tried a wide variety of cases brought by that office, including international drug trafficking, narcotics-related murders, fraudulent tax shelters, false claims against the government, money laundering, civil rights violations, offenses against children, wire and mail fraud, bank robbery, unlawful diversion of controlled substances by medical professionals, environmental violations, and more. As a supervisor, the responsibility for managing the office’s personnel resources was one I always took seriously. The road to job satisfaction was paved with both enthusiasm for the task at hand and the willingness to work hard to see it through to the end.

Having left federal service to begin the next phase of my career, I look forward to applying the skills and continuing interest I have for the law to the varied range of experiences presented by private practice. I have come to realize that the opportunities offered by the law for learning and achievement are limitless. I have always valued interpersonal contact and the principle of service to others. Make no mistake, the shift from public service to private practice has been monumental. But, I relish the challenge, and look forward to applying what I have learned over the past four decades as I navigate the new trails that lie ahead.

My wife and I reside in the Town of West Seneca, where we raised our two children. Our daughter and her husband are now pursuing their respective careers in the Buffalo area where they reside. Our son and his wife are also working and residing in the Buffalo area. In this regard, we are blessed. When not with family, my wife and I enjoy music, the Buffalo theater scene, and travel.