Erik D. Garza

Partner / Houston

P: 713.588.0446


Erik D. Garza is the managing partner of SBSB Eastham’s Galveston office. An accomplished legal career has taken him from the courtroom to the boardroom, as he has encountered trials at both the state and federal levels and has served as General Counsel in more than a dozen board meetings. Before joining the firm in April 2024, he served as Vice President and General Counsel at ABS Group of Companies, Inc. Prior to that, he served as Associate General Counsel for the international classification society American Bureau of Shipping, supporting its Americas operations.

Erik earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University before going on to graduate with his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law. Today, his practice centers primarily on admiralty and maritime, energy, insurance and general counsel matters. He has represented clients from vessel owners and charterers to P&I clubs and marine insurers in all manner of marine casualty losses and contract disputes. He has represented clients in state, federal and administrative courts as well as before the United States Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Erik is admitted to the State Bar of Texas and is licensed to practice before every U.S. District Court in the state, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a certified Proctor in Admiralty with the Maritime Law Association of the United States and has been recognized as a Rising Star in Transportation and Maritime by Super Lawyers and a Houston Top Lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources by H Texas Magazine.

Practice Areas

Practice Areas

  • Admiralty and Maritime
  • Business Transactions
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Energy
  • General Liability
  • Insurance
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation
  • Premises Liability
  • Subrogation
  • Transportation
  • Trucking

Education

  • J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, 2000
  • B.S., Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, 1997

Court Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Certifications

  • Proctor in Admiralty, Maritime Law Association of the United States

Honors and Distinctions

  • Texas Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, 2011-2013
  • Houston Top Lawyer, Energy & Natural Resources, H Texas Magazine

Professional Memberships

  • Galveston Artillery Club
  • Houston Marine & Energy Insurance Conference, Planning Board Member
  • Houston Mariners Club, Past Skipper
  • Houston Mariners Club, Past Board Member
  • Federal Bar Association, Southern District of Texas Chapter, Past President
  • Houston International Seafarers Center, Past Board Member
  • Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Past Board Member