Margaret Smilowitz

Margaret Smilowitz counsels clients on the regulatory, compliance, transactional, and business issues that arise across the energy industry. Drawing on experience in both private practice and government, she helps energy companies, utilities, market participants, and financial institutions navigate evolving legal and commercial considerations. Her experience advising on and investigating complex energy matters provides an in-depth understanding of the technical, operational, and regulatory frameworks that shape energy infrastructure, market participation, and investment decisions.

Prior to joining the firm, Margaret served as an attorney-advisor in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Office of Enforcement, where she investigated potential violations of the Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act, Natural Gas Policy Act, and Commission-approved tariffs. Her work provided significant exposure to the commercial, operational, and regulatory issues facing energy companies across the electric and natural gas industries, including matters involving compliance with FERC, ISO/RTO, and market rules, allegations of market manipulation, and other issues relating to market conduct and participation in organized energy markets. She handled matters involving electric utilities, power marketers, investment firms, natural gas companies, and pipeline operators, spanning transmission operations, interconnection, rate filings, commercial arrangements, and wholesale energy market activity.

At FERC, Margaret managed all phases of enforcement investigations, including written discovery, investigative testimony, factual presentations, settlement negotiations, and Commission-approved settlements. She worked closely with independent market monitoring units, state public utility commissions, other FERC offices, and federal agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She also litigated an enforcement matter before a FERC administrative law judge and in federal district court.

Earlier in her career, Margaret represented companies, financial institutions, and individuals in government and internal investigations, complex commercial litigation, and regulatory enforcement matters. Her experience includes matters involving disclosure obligations, trading activity, data breaches, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and False Claims Act allegations, and related corporate compliance issues before the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, and other federal and international regulators.