Joseph L.
Cavinato, III

Joseph L. “Josh” Cavinato has spent more than a decade at the forefront of international criminal enforcement, advising on complex cross-border investigations involving financial crime, sanctions evasion, corruption, cybercrime, organized crime, and terrorism.

Drawing on senior Department of Justice, diplomatic, and litigation experience, he helps clients anticipate government strategies, assess cross-border enforcement risks, manage high-stakes investigations, and resolve problems that span jurisdictions.

Before joining Larson, Josh served as the Department of Justice Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, where he was the DOJ’s senior prosecutorial liaison to Italian prosecutors, judges, law enforcement agencies, and government officials. He worked closely with U.S. Embassy leadership and senior officials from both governments on extradition, sanctions enforcement, asset recovery, and other criminal matters involving international cooperation.

He regularly advised U.S. prosecutors and investigative agencies on cross-border investigations involving fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, tax crime, financial crime, cybercrime, organized crime, and drug trafficking, including the effective use of formal and informal international cooperation tools. He further advanced bilateral cooperation in criminal investigations and prosecutions with authorities in Malta, Vatican City, and San Marino.

Prior to his diplomatic assignment, Josh served as a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs in Washington, D.C., where he managed extradition and mutual legal assistance matters with foreign authorities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. He coordinated hundreds of international treaty-based requests, advised DOJ leadership on sensitive cross-border issues, and worked closely with the Department of State, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, along with their foreign counterparts. He also represented the DOJ in interagency policy discussions and international delegations focused on prosecutorial and law enforcement cooperation.

Earlier in his career, Josh served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he investigated and litigated fraud and False Claims Act matters involving government contractors, federal procurement, and national security-related services. As part of a team investigating a complex, multi-jurisdictional fraud scheme that resulted in successful prosecution and civil recovery, he received recognition through the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Investigations Award for Excellence.

Josh has been widely recognized for his contributions to international enforcement and national security matters. His honors include the U.S. Department of Justice’s Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work as a member of a prosecutorial team; a National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation for his work as a member of a multi-agency investigative team; and formal recognition from Italian law enforcement authorities for his role in major transnational investigations. He has trained prosecutors, investigators, regulators, and financial crime specialists throughout Europe on cross-border evidence sharing, financial investigations, and international cooperation frameworks.

Josh began his legal career as a federal judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and then practiced as a litigator at a large law firm, building a foundation in federal judicial practice and complex litigation that informs his work today.

Josh is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and an ACAMS member.

Higher Education Honors and Achievements

• CALI Award for Cybersecurity Law
• Order of the Coif
• Southern California Law Review, Managing Editor