Trey is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney litigating cases at every level of the state and federal judicial systems. His practice is broad, providing representation and counsel in matters ranging from complex commercial litigation to constitutional and administrative law. Trey’s legal service philosophy is focused on getting to the essential issues of the case, avoiding needless cost and distractions. Concentrating on the client’s individual needs is paramount, regardless of whether the client is a small business or individual, or Members of Congress or Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to joining Chalmers, Trey was a partner at a boutique litigation firm in the D.C. area for approximately 20 years. He began his legal career as an associate at three different AmLaw 50 firms. He also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Robert H. Cleland of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit.

Public service has also been an important component of Trey’s legal career, including as an Assistant U.S. Attorney specializing in white collar crime, encompassing securities and investment fraud, public corruption, tax fraud, money laundering, and corporate investigations.  He was also Counsel to the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, counseling the Executive Branch on the myriad legal issues arising from the 2020 Census.

Practice Areas:

• Commercial & Tort Litigation
• Criminal Defense & Internal Investigations
• False Claims Act Litigation
• Appeals
• Constitutional, Civil Rights, & Administrative Law
• Jury Trials, Arbitrations & Client Counseling

Representative Matters:

• Cochise Consultancy, Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Hunt. Litigated case from trial level to the United States Supreme Court, resulting in unanimous decision for whistleblowers, overturning 30 years of federal precedent.
• Fines v. Rappahannock Community Services Board. Litigated case from trial level to the Virginia Supreme Court, resulting in unanimous decision holding that state sovereign immunity did not apply to multi-jurisdictional municipal agencies, allowing molestation victim to bring suit.
• Securities & Exchange Commission v. Alleca. Two successive unanimous decisions in the Eleventh Circuit litigated from the trial level, overturning federal district court decisions and rejecting the SEC receivership’s claim of a fraudulent conveyance.
• Azige v. Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church. Unanimous decision by North Carolina Court of Appeals that First Amendment prohibited the judiciary from interfering in an internal church governance dispute.
• S. ex rel. Kolbeck v. Point Blank Solutions, Inc. Obtained federal False Claims Act settlement in the Delaware federal bankruptcy court from the largest supplier of body armor to U.S. troops in Iraq based on suit demonstrating falsification of quality assurance standards.

Education:

• Northwestern University School of Law, J.D.
• Michigan State University, B.A., Public Administration, with honors.

Bar Admissions:

• Virginia
• District of Columbia
• The United States Supreme Court
• The United States Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits.
• The United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Colorado, and the District for the District of Columbia.

Trey is also active in the Federalist Society and the Republican National Lawyers Association, and has been an adjunct professor on legal topics at Georgetown University. Outside the legal arena, Trey enjoys cycling, history, hiking, public policy, and involvement with the Michigan State Alumni Association.