About Peter J.
Peter J. Cavanaugh has practiced law for more than three decades in Michigan and federal courts. He built his career after finishing law school in the early 1990s and has combined courtroom work with teaching and alternative dispute resolution. Colleagues describe him as steady and pragmatic in complex disputes.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1992. Those academic years bookend a period of study that preceded a long run in litigation and arbitration. The two degrees underpin his legal approach: practical, rooted in precedent, and attentive to procedural detail.
Cavanaugh’s bar admissions include the State of Michigan, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. That mix of state and federal access has shaped the kinds of matters he accepts. Over the years he has handled contested cases in state trial courts, argued appeals in the Sixth Circuit, and litigated claims in the Court of Federal Claims.
Outside the courtroom he has been involved in dispute resolution forums. He has maintained membership on the American Arbitration Association’s Construction Panel since 2006. That role places him among arbitrators and advocates who regularly deal with construction contract disputes, delay claims, and related performance issues. In 2013 he began teaching as an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University, a position he continues to hold. His classroom work has kept him engaged with younger lawyers and local legal education initiatives.
Cavanaugh has practiced at CAVANAUGH & QUESADA, PLC, where his work spans arbitration, trial litigation, and appellate matters. He represents clients in disputes that arise from construction projects, contract enforcement, and government-related claims. His practice style tends toward methodical preparation and careful case development rather than quick settlements.
He balances trial and appellate work with service on arbitration panels, and he continues to accept matters that require familiarity with both state procedures and federal claims practice. He currently practices at CAVANAUGH & QUESADA, PLC, representing clients in construction arbitration, state and federal litigation, and government contract disputes.
