As an attorney at Silverman Thompson, Todd Hesel oversees a diverse civil litigation portfolio, encompassing multi-jurisdictional business disputes, defense and prosecution of tort and contract claims in both state and federal courts, and advocacy for students facing Title IX and other disciplinary actions. 

Recent highlights of Mr. Hesel’s accomplishments include: successfully compelling arbitration for a putative wage and hour class action lodged in California state court against a national mortgage lender; securing reversals in two criminal appeals where the State of Maryland conceded error; obtaining injunctive relief in federal court on behalf of a university student suspended for misconduct; and procuring injunctive relief for a private school in the Annapolis area to halt a parent from disparaging the institution on social media. 

While Mr. Hesel takes pride in his ability to achieve favorable outcomes across various legal matters, he specializes in appellate work. As a former Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, he handled hundreds of cases in Maryland’s appellate courts. Since joining the Firm, he has maintained an active state appellate court practice while also briefing matters before the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits. 

Additionally, Mr. Hesel is recognized as an authority in search and seizure law. His tenure in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office saw him handling several high-profile Fourth Amendment cases, including those addressing the impact of marijuana decriminalization on police authority to search and arrest. Leveraging this expertise, Todd effectively assists clients at the Firm in having illegally seized evidence suppressed and charges against them dismissed. 

Education
  • University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law - J.D. - 2008

    magna cum laude

  • Bucknell University - B.A. - 2000

    summa cum laude

Practice Areas
  • Defense of Professionals
  • Appellate
  • Business Litigation
  • Investigations & White Collar Defense
  • State and Local Government
Government Service
  • Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Maryland Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division, 2012–2020
  • Honors Attorney, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Maryland Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division, 2010–2012
  • Law Clerk to the Honorable Deborah S. Eyler, Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2009–2010
  • Law Clerk to the Honorable James R. Eyler, Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2008–2009
  • Judicial Intern to the Honorable Paul W. Grimm, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, 2006
Honors/Awards/Appointments
  • Alexander Cummings Award for Appellate Advocacy, 2018
  • Supreme Court Fellow, National Association of Attorneys General, 2015
  • Maryland Law Review, Notes and Comments Editor
  • Order of the Coif
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Teaching Experience
    Introduction to Trial Advocacy, University of Baltimore School of Law, 2019-2020
    Publications
    Co-author, Warnken’s Maryland Criminal Procedure, 2d Edition (2022)
    Professional & Bar Association Memberships
    • Maryland State Bar Association
    • J. Dudley Digges Inn of Court

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