2025-2026 Chapter Leadership

President

Paul Caiola is a partner at Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP in Baltimore, where he focuses his practice on complex business litigation and counseling. He represents corporations, nonprofit institutions, and individuals in a wide array of commercial disputes involving contracts, business torts, and fiduciary obligations. Paul has extensive experience in federal and state courts and regularly advises clients on litigation strategy and risk management. A graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Paul began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Walter E. Black, Jr. of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He has served on the board of the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association for many years and was previously the Chapter’s longtime Membership Chair, where he helped expand outreach and engagement across Maryland’s federal bar.

President Elect

Thomas Barnard is a partner at Baker Donelson in Baltimore, where he advises clients navigating government investigations and complex civil litigation. Before entering private practice, Tom served in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. There, he represented the United States in a broad range of matters, including investigations under the False Claims Act involving government contracts and healthcare fraud, and defensive litigation in federal court. He also served as the office’s eDiscovery coordinator. A military veteran, Tom served on active duty as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army and later as the senior legal advisor for the Maryland National Guard. In those roles, he litigated criminal and administrative matters, worked as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, and provided counsel on national security and domestic operations. Throughout his career, Tom has combined litigation experience with a deep understanding of government processes and institutional integrity.

1st Vice President

Himedes Chicas is a partner and head of the immigration department at the Law Offices of Jezic & Moyse, LLC. He has practiced immigration law exclusively for more than a decade, with a particular focus on the intersection of criminal and immigration law. Himedes routinely advises clients and their defense attorneys on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, crafts immigrant-friendly plea arrangements, and provides expert guidance in post-conviction matters. He has served as an expert witness in immigration-related criminal proceedings, including before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. In addition to advisory work, Himedes represents clients in removal proceedings before immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the CAIR Coalition and is a member of the Cole-Davidson Inn of Court. Himedes has been recognized as a top immigration attorney by Washingtonian Magazine and Bethesda Magazine, and has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for over nine years.

Secretary

David Wyand is a partner at Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, where he concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation. He represents individuals, businesses, and organizations in high-stakes disputes involving commercial contracts, real estate, lender liability, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, shareholder and partnership disagreements, business torts, insurance coverage, and intellectual property infringement. David regularly appears in both Maryland state and federal courts and also has extensive experience handling arbitrations. His strategic and detail-oriented approach has made him a trusted advocate in a wide range of commercial matters.

Treasurer

Kevin Docherty is a partner at Brown Goldstein & Levy in Baltimore, where his practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and plaintiff-side civil rights cases. He represents clients in matters involving constitutional violations, employment discrimination, and business disputes, bringing a thoughtful and strategic approach to every case. Before joining the firm, Kevin clerked for Judge William Nickerson of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and has served on the board of the Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter since 2015.

National Delegate

Mark Saudek is a partner at Gallagher Evelius & Jones in Baltimore, where his practice focuses on business litigation, trade secrets, and commercial disputes. He has represented clients in a wide range of matters, including intellectual property claims, employment disputes, and contract litigation in both state and federal courts. Mark clerked for the Honorable Catherine C. Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland following his graduation from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. A longtime supporter of the federal legal community, Mark has served the Federal Bar Association and the U.S. District Court in numerous capacities, providing leadership and insight on matters of practice and court operations. He is known for his strategic advocacy, mentorship of younger attorneys, and commitment to professional excellence in federal practice.

Young Lawyers Representative

Alana Hamm is the Deputy EEO and Accommodations Officer and Associate General Counsel at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. In this role, she provides counsel on employment matters, accessibility compliance, and workplace equity. Prior to her current position, she was an associate at Jackson Lewis P.C., where she advised employers on labor and employment law compliance, investigations, and litigation strategy. Earlier in her career, Alana served as an associate at Goldberg Segalla and gained judicial experience through a clerkship at the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and internships with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Labor. While in law school, she participated in the Innocence Project Clinic and authored successful post-conviction petitions. Alana is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and earned her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Clerk of the Court

Catherine Stavlas has served as Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland since 2020. She previously held the role of Chief Deputy Clerk for Operations and, prior to joining the Clerk’s Office, served as the Assistant United States Trustee for the Southern Division of the District of Maryland. Catherine began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Duncan W. Keir of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. She also practiced law as an associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP in Washington, D.C., where she focused on corporate restructuring and bankruptcy litigation. A 1994 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Catherine earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1997. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to public service and the administration of justice in the federal courts.

Immediate Past President

Maria Salacuse is the Assistant General Counsel, eDiscovery & Information Governance, at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Office of General Counsel. In this role, she serves as the agency’s lead eDiscovery counsel, oversees the litigation support department, and advises senior leadership on matters involving electronic discovery, litigation technology, and attorney training. Maria previously served as a Supervisory Trial Attorney in the EEOC’s Baltimore Field Office, where she litigated individual and systemic discrimination cases for two decades, many of which involved complex ESI issues. Since joining the EEOC in 1994, she has also held roles as a Trial Attorney, Attorney Advisor to former EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang, and Administrative Judge. Maria earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.