Wesley Heath counsels clients on energy and commodities enforcement matters and government investigations and litigation. He also assists clients in developing energy regulatory compliance programs.
Prior to joining Steptoe, Wes served as a litigator and investigator in the Division of Investigations within the Office of Enforcement at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In this position, he served as lead litigator in FERC’s first modern federal-court enforcement action, alleging manipulation of the electric markets by a major financial institution. The case resulted in the largest settlement in a litigated enforcement matter in FERC history.
During this case, he successfully argued a number of critical new issues for FERC, including establishing that the alleged conduct fell within FERC’s jurisdiction rather than the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s exclusive jurisdiction, FERC’s authority to bring a manipulation case against individuals, and the definition of manipulative conduct under the Federal Power Act. See FERC v. Barclays Bank PLC, 105 F. Supp. 3d 1121 (E.D. Cal. 2015).
Wes also worked on the first administrative litigation implementing FERC’s anti-manipulation authority and is one of the few attorneys to have litigated cases under all three of FERC’s major statutory enforcement schemes: the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, and the Natural Gas Policy Act.
He previously served as special assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia. Wes is certified by the Global Association of Risk Professionals as both a Financial Risk Manager and an Energy Risk Professional.
Previous Employment:
- Attorney, Division of Investigations, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Enforcement
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Civil Division
Education:
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 2003, cum laude
- M.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 2000
- B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 2000, Phi Beta Kappa
Cost
Rate : $$$
