Margaret Winterkorn Meyers
Margaret provides institutional and individual clients with extensive litigation coverage in complex civil suits, government and internal investigations, and regulatory proceedings, and white-collar criminal matters.
Margaret Meyers brings to her law practice the drive, teamwork, and composure she developed as a collegiate athlete, delivering high-value service to her clients.
Margaret counsels public companies, investment banks, broker dealers, investment advisers, corporate officers and directors, and other professionals. She often defends them in parallel proceedings involving civil litigation, arbitrations, and mediations, as well as investigations and matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Reserve Bank, state attorneys general offices, and other governmental and self-regulatory bodies. She also defends companies in complex product liability and commercial disputes in both state and federal court.
In addition, Margaret regularly advises and represents traders and financial advisors in connection with investigations and inquiries by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). These relate to allegations of recordkeeping and supervision failures, suitability, violations of the best execution requirement, unapproved outside business activities, and matters relating to Form U4 disclosures. She also negotiates U5 disclosure language on behalf of clients and has successfully represented financial advisors in connection with Form U4 expungement actions.
Margaret maintains an active pro bono docket representing individuals seeking asylum, Special Immigrant Visas, and humanitarian parole. She has also represented two cities in a successful challenge to a state's failure to ensure that disqualifying criminal records are getting into the state's background check system. Additionally, Margaret represents pro bono clients in connection with their role as amici, including drafting submissions to the U.S. Supreme Court on issues relating to the Dormant Commerce Clause.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Columbia Law School, J.D., 2008
- Harvard College, B.A., magna cum laude, 2002
Bar and Court Admissions
-
New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Related Employment
- Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP, New York, NY, Partner, 2019-2020; Associate, 2013-2018
- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, NY, Associate, 2008-2011; Summer Associate, 2007
Clerkships
- Hon. Denny Chin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Professional Recognition
Recipient of Perkins Coie "Pro Bono Leadership Award," 2022
Recommended by The Legal 500 United States in the area of General Commercial Disputes, 2020
Recognized as a Woman Worth Watching by Diversity Journal, 2019
Recognized as a Notable Practitioner by State Tax Notes for the key amicus brief in Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury v. Wynne, 2015
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Federal Bar Council Inn of Court, Member
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association, Member
Community Involvement
- Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Member of the Board of Trustees, 2022-present
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Government and Regulatory Investigations and Proceedings
- Represented a global financial institution in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) enforcement inquiries involving employees’ use of personal devices to send business-related text messages, resulting in settlements with both regulators.
- Represented numerous individuals in internal investigations and investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) relating to the use of personal devices to send business-related text messages.
- Represented a broker-dealer in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation relating to alleged execution of wash trades and/or self-trades on behalf of an institutional client, resulting in no penalty to client.
- Represented the chief operating officer of a broker-dealer in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation relating to order routing disclosures to customers, resulting in no penalty to client.
- Represented a large global bank in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations relating to allegations of insider trading and fraud.*
- Represented an employee of a global bank in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Reserve, and numerous foreign regulators relating to bribery and money laundering allegations.*
- Represented a trader and a salesperson in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigations of alleged false statements in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) trading.*
- Represented a member of the finance department of a financial services company in a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation regarding accounting fraud allegations.*
- Represented an employee of a public company in U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations regarding accounting fraud allegations.*
- Represented a witness in the New Jersey federal district court regarding the George Washington Bridge lane closures.*
- Represented an in-house lawyer of a transnational bank in a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) investigation.*
- Represented a brokerage firm in a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) investigation concerning the ISDAFIX benchmark.*
- Represented an employee of a broker-dealer in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation into allegations of misleading Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) staff.*
- Represented an individual in a federal criminal insider trading investigation and sentencing.*
- Represented the victim of investor fraud in a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and restitution proceedings.*
*Prior experience
Internal Investigations
- Represented the audit committee of a public company in response to whistleblower allegations of self-dealing.*
- Represented the chief executive officer of a public company in connection with an internal investigation.*
- Represented a Barron’s Top 100 U.S. financial advisor in an internal investigation and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) inquiry relating to allegations of policy and rule violations.*
- Represented two board members and a senior executive of a public company in an audit committee investigation regarding accounting fraud allegations.*
- Represented a former employee of a financial institution in an internal investigation relating to the misappropriation of confidential material.*
*Prior experience
Civil Litigation
- Obtained dismissal of all claims against a partner of a prominent law firm in securities fraud litigation brought in New York federal court by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).*
- Represented an investment fund in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and seeking reformation of contract for sale of portfolio company.*
- Represented special committee members of digital signage company in a securities class action brought in the Delaware Court of Chancery alleging that they breached their fiduciary duties by approving transactions allowing company insiders to take the company private and squeeze out the interests of minority shareholders.*
- Represented numerous senior executives of leading financial institutions in litigation and a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation arising out of the offer and sale of RMBS.*
*Prior experience