Margaret Cassidy founded Cassidy Law because she loves practicing law and working with businesses to build bridges between the law and their vision. Her practice focuses on guiding companies as they innovate, evaluate risks, and scale while complying with U.S. federal government contracting, export, and national security regulations.
Margaret’s philosophy is simple: legal advice should be clear, actionable, and integrated into business goals. She collaborates with clients to craft legal solutions that are practical, creative, and disciplined without losing sight of their strategy.
She’s worked with startups as they grew from two people with an idea to nine-figure valuations and guided established, global companies through negotiating government contracts, selling dual-use products internationally, structuring business relationships, building compliance programs, and defending against government investigations.
Her experience is grounded in real-world leadership. Before starting the firm, Margaret served as Global Compliance Counsel for GE Transportation and was the Government Ethics & Compliance leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers – U.S. Early in her career, Margaret was a state and local prosecutor investigating and prosecuting corruption, fraud, homicides, and assaults. Federal and state governmental entities have approved her to serve as an independent monitor to oversee a business’ compliance and ethics programs and compliance with settlement agreements—a testament to her understanding of the law, her integrity, and exacting nature.
Margaret’s passion for the law also shows up in her activities outside of the firm. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility which has responsibilities related to the oversight and discipline of lawyers in D.C. She chairs the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Publications Committee and is the immediate past chair of the Business Law Section’s Corporate Compliance and Business Crimes Committee. The ABA recognized Margaret’s entrepreneurial, collaborative nature by naming her one of “11 Lawyers Who Inspired Us” for her work in starting the League of Women Lawyers—a network of women managing and owning law firms.
Margaret brings an artist’s eye to her work. A juried photographer with a World Art History Certificate from the Smithsonian Associates, she understands that lawyering and starting and scaling a business are as much about creativity as they are about the law.
Her drive to be efficient and direct, combined with an innovative mindset, results in clear, practical guidance that empowers clients to make informed decisions. This approach resonates with startups and forward-thinking companies seeking a legal partner who values originality and vision as much as the law.
If your business is in or entering the federal government market, looking to grow globally, designing innovative technology, needing to build or enhance an ethics and compliance program, or defending against federal government investigations, Margaret brings insight, experience, and an entrepreneurial mindset that works with businesses —strategically, ethically, and boldly.
