Hon. Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark

Hon. Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark is a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, appointed in 2020. Prior to joining the bench, she was a partner in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice group at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP in Baltimore, where she represented debtors, creditors? committees, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, landlords, lessors, purchasers of assets and trustees in complex insolvency proceedings, including chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, receiverships and assignments for the benefit of creditors. She also represented parties in workouts, restructurings and complex commercial litigation, including fraudulent transfer, deepening insolvency, breach of fiduciary duty and preferential transfer litigation. Judge Ruark was admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia and represented clients in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. She is a past president of the Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association, a member of ABI, a past president of the Chesapeake Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association, a former member of the global executive board for the Turnaround Management Association, and a past president of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland. In fall 2022, Judge Ruark received the Turnaround Management Association?s Chapter Impact Award for her impact on the TMA Chesapeake Chapter, which is one of 85 chapters worldwide. In spring 2022, the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland honored her with the Mannes Memorial Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has contributed to the betterment of the bar association and the practice of law in Maryland. Judge Ruark was named to Lawdragon?s 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers in 2020, and she was also named one of ?America?s Leading Lawyers for Bankruptcy/Restructuring? by Chambers USA from 2015-20, named in The Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law from 2013-20, and selected for inclusion in Maryland Super Lawyers from 2010-20. In addition, in 2009, 2011 and 2020, she was named one of Maryland?s Top 100 Women in Business by The Daily Record, and in 2010, she was named one of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland?s ?pro bono stars? for her exemplary service and commitment to providing pro bono legal representation to Maryland?s underrepresented citizens. In 2006, Judge Ruark earned the first annual Educator of the Year Award by Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service for her pro bono service in the State of Maryland. Judge Ruark served on her firm?s Pro Bono Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee for many years, chaired the firm?s Minority Attorney Resource Group in 2019 and 2020, and has mentored law students and young lawyers throughout her career. She received both her B.A. in accounting and her M.B.A. from Salisbury University and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.