The new group brings added focus to the firm's long-standing work in high-stakes administrative and constitutional litigation
Washington, DC (January 22, 2026) – Venable LLP today announced the launch of its Administrative and Regulatory Litigation Group. The group brings added focus and coordination to the firm’s long-established regulatory, trial, and appellate practices, helping clients address novel and complex administrative and constitutional law issues, including in litigation before the Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and other federal courts when disputes cannot be resolved at the agency level.
The group will be chaired by Megan Barbero, former general counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), former deputy general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, and a former appellate attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Division. The group also welcomes Courtney Dixon, who joined Venable’s Washington, DC office this week as counsel, and Elizabeth Wilson, who recently joined following her clerkship with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
"Venable has long been a destination for sophisticated administrative and regulatory litigation, advising clients at some of their most consequential inflection points," said Larry Norton, chair of Venable’s Government Division. "Establishing this group formalizes and strengthens work the firm has been doing at the highest levels for decades, enhancing our ability to provide cutting-edge representation in a rapidly changing environment."
"This group brings together Venable's regulatory depth and seasoned trial and appellate experience to provide a more integrated and strategic approach to administrative engagement and high-stakes litigation," said Megan Barbero, chair of Venable's Administrative and Regulatory Litigation Group. "I'm especially pleased to welcome my former DOJ colleague, Courtney Dixon. She brings a decade of relevant government experience and has argued more than 30 appeals."
A Focused Platform for Administrative Engagement and Regulatory Disputes
- Judicial challenges: Litigating Administrative Procedure Act, constitutional, and other statutory challenges, including in the federal courts of appeals
- Amicus advocacy: Preparing amicus briefs for trade associations and other organizations in consequential administrative law matters
- Enforcement and investigations: Working with colleagues across Venable to defend investigations and enforcement actions and coordinate strategy across proceedings
- Rulemaking and policy development: Advising on notice-and-comment strategy, agency engagement, and administrative record building
- Regulatory risk management: Monitoring policy and enforcement trends and advising on emerging risks and compliance strategy
Administrative and Regulatory Litigation Group Leadership
Megan Barbero joined Venable in 2025 after serving as general counsel of the SEC, where she was the agency's chief legal officer and advised on significant rulemakings and enforcement matters. Her experience includes service as deputy general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives and as an appellate attorney in the Justice Department's Civil Division, representing the United States and its agencies in federal courts of appeals. She represents clients in complex administrative-law matters implicating statutory and constitutional issues.
Welcome Courtney Dixon
Courtney L. Dixon joins Venable from the Justice Department's Civil Division, Appellate Staff, where she represented the United States, its officers, and federal agencies in high-profile matters involving administrative and constitutional law. At DOJ, she briefed and argued more than 30 cases in the federal courts of appeals, advised agency clients on proposed actions and rulemakings, and coordinated on Supreme Court matters with the Office of the Solicitor General. She also served on detail as associate counsel in the White House Counsel's Office and is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. She earned her JD from Yale Law School and clerked on the Sixth Circuit and Northern District of California.
About Venable LLP
Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC. With more than 900 professionals in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, Venable strategically advances its clients' objectives in the United States and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, and complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines.
To learn more about the Administrative and Regulatory Litigation Practice, click here.