Margaret Smilowitz

Margaret Smilowitz is a senior associate in the firm's energy practice group where she counsels energy clients on transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Margaret served in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Enforcement, where she investigated potential violations of the Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act, Natural Gas Policy Act, and Commission-approved tariffs, including allegations of market manipulation, misrepresentations to the Commission and ISOs/RTOs, and compliance with FERC filing and reporting requirements. She investigated a variety of entities, including electric utilities, investment companies, power marketers, natural gas companies, and pipelines. She handled enforcement issues spanning the energy regulatory and commercial lifecycle, including long-term commercial arrangements, interconnection, rate filings, transmission operations, and day-to-day market activity.

While at FERC, Margaret managed written discovery, conducted investigative testimony, presented factual findings, negotiated settlements, and secured Commission approval of those settlements. She coordinated regularly with market monitoring units and other Commission offices and worked with different federal agencies, including the SEC and CFTC. 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 and complex commercial litigation. Her practice included matters before the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, and other federal and international regulators involving trading activity, disclosure obligations, and corporate compliance matters.